Tom Bergeron managed to be both a big winner and a big loser in 2020.
A big loser, because he got fired from Dancing with the Stars this summer.
A big winner, because viewers have only grown more and more outraged over this firing since it took place -- especially once they saw Tyra Banks in awful action.
With time having gone on, and with fans making it clear how much they miss him on screen, would Bergeron ever consider a return to Dancing with the Stars?
Could we see him host the competition ever again?
The long-time television personality recently opened up to TV Guide Magazine, emphasizing that folks shouldn't exactly hold their breath when it comes to him appearing on this beloved series down the line.
Not next season. Not the season after that. Not. Ever.
"When people say, 'I'm not gonna watch until you're back,' I say, 'Well, there's really no 'until' here,'" Bergeron told this publication, adding for absolute clarity:
"This train has left the station."
Does Bergeron begrudge those who say they miss him... yet stiill tune in each week?
"I appreciate the sentiment," he says. "[But] I don't hold it against anybody if they [watch]."
Bergeron hosted Dancing with the Stars for 28 seasons, with Andrews joining him for the last handful, starting in 2014.
In July, the popular host broke the news of his departure on Twitter, writing:
“Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me.
“It’s been an incredible 15 year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made.
"That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?"
ABC and BBC Studios eventually confirmed both the departures of Bergeron and Andrews from the show several months ago, saying in a joint statement provided:
"Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family.
"As we embark on a new creative direction, he departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark wit and charm that helped make this show a success."
An Emmy Award winner, Bergeron started his career on New Hampshire radio.
He also hosted FX's Breakfast Time (1994–96) and ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos (2001–15) over the last few decades, while performing as Taco on The Masked Singer last winter.
Where might he pop up next?
It doesn't sound like Bergeron himself even knows.
"I've hosted every format imaginable," Bergeron told TV Guide Magazine, concluding:
"There's no real fire in my gut to do it again. Having said that, I'm always open to surprises."
The decision to oust Bergeron and Andrews came as a true stunner to so many fans when it was first announced ahead of Season 29.
However, Executive Producer Andrew Llinares defended the move, citing the pivot as a necessary change for the long-running franchise.
"It's all about evolution," he told reporters back in September.
"Any show like this that has been on for many, many seasons needs to continue to evolve. So I think changing that host is all about evolution...
"It was all about making the show feel fresh, making it feel new and make it reach out to a new audience -- as well as the audience that's been there for years."
That sounds great and all.
But Banks is awful in the role.
Seems like a problem going forward.