On Thursday, Deadline reported that DWTS Executive Producer Andrew Llinares would be leaving the series. Llinares came onto the Emmy-nominated show during the 26th season, which featured a cast made up entirely of athletes. He departs before season 31, which is assumed to air in the fall, despite ABC yet to make an announcement about it. When the announcement hit Twitter, Bergeron was asked for comment. His response? “Karma’s a bitch.” Bergeron’s reaction, while shady, is understandable given his history with the EP. Llinares oversaw the show when Bergeron and co-host Erin Andrewswere shockingly fired in July 2020. And he was part of the controversial decision to replace them with Tyra Banks as emcee. (Could this mean she’s on the way out too?) While the DWTS fan community was understandably outraged at the sudden departure, Bergeron remained mum about what led to him leaving the show he’s been part of since the first day. But this past fall, on the late Bob Saget’s podcast, he finally divulged the behind-the-scenes drama. He admitted he saw his leave coming, saying there was a personnel change behind the scenes and “those people and I did not see eye-to-eye about how best to present the show.” It’s assumed he was referring to Llinares as part of that group, with whom he allegedly clashed repeatedly throughout what would be his final season on the show. As he bluntly said, “The show that I left was not the show that I loved.” Llinares’ departure may signal a possible steering away from those changes Bergeron had railed against. The EP had the unenviable job of producing the show during the pandemic, facing COVID scares from pros, celebs and even judges. But the newest version of the show has earned criticism from the fan community for Banks’ hosting, eliminating the traditional opening numbers, and the use of over-the-top lighting and backdrops during the dances. But whatever direction DWTS may go in, Bergeron is happy that, for him, what goes around comes around. Dancing with the Stars season 31 is expected to air this fall on ABC. Next, Everything We Know So Far About Dancing with the Stars Season 31
