Variety reported on Tuesday, March 30, that Tyra Banks will be taking the reins as host for the second time after she was tapped to replace Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews for season 29 in September 2020. Bergeron, 65, had been part of the competition series since its debut in 2005, with Andrews, 42, joining as cohost in 2014. (The sportscaster previously competed with pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy on season 10.)

Before stepping into the DWTS spotlight, the America’s Next Top Model alum, 47, admitted that she had her work cut out for her. “I think the challenge is stepping into shoes. I mean, you know, Tom Bergeron and Erin. They lead the show, this is one of the top-rated shows in the world,” Banks told Us Weekly exclusively before season 29 kicked off last fall. “So [I’m] respecting the stage that they have set and then adding my icing to that. I feel confident about that, but of course, it’s a challenge, but I don’t back away from challenges.”

Losing beloved figures like Bergeron and Andrews wasn’t easy for DWTS fans — and Banks had her fair share of slips along the way. Between wardrobe malfunctions and elimination mistakes, the model knew she wasn’t “perfect.”

The California native told Us in September: “Every host messes up. It’s just normal. It’s live TV. If it wasn’t live, there would be no mess-ups. Even on America’s Next Top Model, I would mess up and tell my editors to leave it in. That’s what makes things human and makes [it] live. … If I didn’t want to mess up, if I wanted to be perfect, I know how to do that.”

Banks wasn’t the only new face in the ABC ballroom last season. Derek Hough, who competed as a DWTS pro from 2007 to 2016, joined the panel of expert judges in Len Goodman‘s absence amid the COVID-19 crisis. After giving plenty of constructive criticism to season 29 competitors — including Chrishell Stause and winner Kaitlyn Bristowe — the 35-year-old choreographer made sure fans knew there were no hard feelings.

“I had no intention to be tough or anything like that, but I guess what I realize, for me, is that I think I just have a lot of respect,” Hough told Us in October 2020. “I have a lot of respect for these celebrities and what they’re doing and I genuinely want to give them some feedback. ‘Cause I know for me when I was a pro, I wanted actual feedback. I want to learn how to be better. So that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Keep scrolling to see who else is returning to the ballroom for season 30!

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This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Meredith Nardino