After months of speculation about who will host Dancing With The Stars season 31, Alfonso Ribeiro has been announced as Tyra Banks' co-host. Season 31 is making the unprecedented move from ABC to Disney+ in the fall, and fans were hoping for some changes in the format of the show, including the host. In 2020, fans were outraged when Tyra replaced Tom Bergeron who who hosted the show for 28 seasons and Erin Andrews, who co-hosted seasons 18-28. Their anger only intensified because they did not think that Tyra had the skills to host a live show.
During Dancing With The Stars seasons 29 and 30, Tyra faced harsh criticism because of her over-the-top costumes which angered fans who felt that she was stealing the spotlight from the dancers. Her timing as host was sometimes off, causing her to interrupt stars in the middle of their interviews right before commercial breaks. In season 29, Tyra made a big error when she announced that Monica Aldama and Val Chmerkovskiy were safe from elimination, but then had to call them back because they were actually in the bottom two. Dancing With The Stars season 30 brought more controversy when fans felt that Tyra embarrassed Suni Lee after she became ill on the show. They also criticized her for rushing contestants off of the stage after their eliminations such as Olivia Jade and Val and Jimmie Allen and Emma Slater.
Now Dancing With The Stars has announced that Alfonso will co-host season 31 with Tyra. According to Us Weekly, in a press release, Alfonso said, "Dancing with the Stars has been such an important part of my life for so many years, and I am ecstatic to officially re-join this tight-knit family as cohost." Alfonso is a 50-year-old actor, comedian, director, television host and personality. He is best known for playing Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for six seasons from 1990-1996 during which he created his iconic signature dance, The Carlton. He got his start as a child actor playing Alfonso Spears on Silver Spoons in 1984. Alfonso is currently the host of America's Funniest Home Videos, which was also hosted by Tom Bergeron in the past. Here are all of the reasons that Alfonso is the perfect person to co-host Dancing With The Stars.
Alfonso & Tyra Are Old Friends
Alfonso and Tyra have been friends since junior high. They first worked together when Tyra starred on eight episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 4 in 1993. In the press release, Alfonso said, "Tyra and I have a longstanding friendship that I hope will resonate with all of the fans at home as we kick off this new season on Disney+." In a statement, Tyra said that she has known Alfonso since she was 19 years old "and he always puts a smile on my face whenever I see him. Having such a fun-loving, longtime friend as co-host warms my heart. Bantering back and forth with him live is going to be so much fun!" One of the biggest criticisms of Tyra has been how awkward she seems hosting, so perhaps having an old friend such as Alfonso alongside her might help her to relax and feel more comfortable on live television.
Alfonso Won Dancing With The Stars Season 19
Alfonso won Dancing With The Stars season 19 with his professional dancing partner Witney Carson, so he has firsthand experience with being a contestant on the show. Rather than simply memorizing the names of the dances and their components, Alfonso learned, practiced, and performed the jive, samba, quickstep, jazz, flamenco, salsa, rumba, cha-cha-cha, foxtrot, paso doble, Argentine tango, contemporary, and freestyle dances that are traditionally presented on the show. He also understands the rigorous rehearsals and what it is like to work so closely with a dance partner. Alfonso will be able to relate to the contestants on a more personal level that comes from experience.
Alfonso Is An Experienced Host
Alfonso has extensive experience as the host of television shows. In 2000, he hosted the talent television show Your Big Break and then went on to host GSN Live, a live interactive show on Game Show Network, from 2008-2009. He also hosted the game shows Catch 21 and its revival The New Catch 21, centered on blackjack and trivia and Spell-Mageddon, which combined a spelling bee with obstacle courses. From 2015-2017, Alfonso hosted the Cooking Channel series Unwrapped 2.0, a revival of Unwrapped, which reveals the origins of popular foods. Since 2015, Alfonso has hosted the classic show America's Funniest Home Videos. As a host, he is engaging and charming. He is humorous without being overpowering, and he is genuinely interested in the people he interviews.
Alfonso will be an ideal co-host for Tyra on Dancing With The Stars season 31. He is experienced and entertaining and has a knack for balancing humor and sensitivity. He will bring his winning personality to the ballroom and hopefully help to lead the show in the right direction as it moves to Disney+. Alfonso is sure to dance into the hearts of Dancing With The Stars fans.
Source: Us Weekly