Why DWTS’ Alfonso Ribeiro Says Tyra Banks Was “Set Up for Failure”

When it comes to her role on Dancing With the Stars, Alfonso Ribeiro says Tyra Banks just missed a beat.

Two years after the star of America’s Next Top Model left the reality dancing competition as a host, the star of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, who now co-hosts the show with Julianne Hough, shared their thoughts on Banks’ time on the program.

According to Ribeiro, it was difficult for Tyra Banks when she joined the show because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with Parade published on September 28th, he explained, “Without being able to connect with the celebrities and professional dancers-and it always took two people to do that-it became a one-person job. She had to handle everything herself, but the show wasn’t set up that way.”

Ribeiro-who began hosting DWTS at Banks in 2022 but left the next year-explained, “The show didn’t give her a fair chance to succeed; she was never likely to win.”

Additionally, as the 54-year-old pointed out, Tom Bergeron-the original host of DWTS who unexpectedly departed in 2020-left big shoes for Banks to fill.

“You’re taking over after Tom Bergeron, who many consider the best host on TV, correct?” Ribeiro clarified. “You’re working solo, without a co-host to collaborate with. It’s all on you, making it naturally focused on your performance, right?”

Beyond the requirements for social distancing during the COVID pandemic, Ribeiro highlighted how challenging Banks’ time on DWTS must have been.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following this show closely, and it’s fascinating to me how the first two seasons really felt like a carefully constructed launchpad. He pointed out that while the show ultimately did well, the initial setup created a disconnect. It wasn’t necessarily a failure, but the audience didn’t get a true sense of the show’s core because the groundwork was so different from what came later. He believes the initial approach prevented viewers from fully connecting with the show’s original vibe.

Even though Banks left the show after only working with Ribeiro for a year, Ribeiro confirmed that there are no hard feelings between them and the 51-year-old actor.

Ultimately, I remained friends with Tyra,” he explained. “Our friendship continues to this day, and I have a great deal of respect for her. She is truly a wonderful person and a talented performer.”

He posited that Banks was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He expressed his disappointment, wondering if she could have been a permanent host of the show if the circumstances had been different.

TopMob News has reached out to ABC regarding Ribeiro’s comments but has not yet heard back.

For a deeper look into the latest season of DWTS, keep reading…