‘DWTS’: Tom Bergeron Apologizes to Bobby Bones for ‘Hurtful’ Comments Amid ‘Hate’ From Julianne Hough

Martin Holmes November 13, 2025, 7:45 am

Bobby Bones and Tom Bergeron — Sarah Kerver/Getty Images for iHeartRadio; JC Olivera/Getty Images

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Bobby Bones revealed he returned his Mirrorball Trophy to ABC after facing ongoing criticism, including recent hurtful comments from former host Tom Bergeron.
Bones expressed that Bergeron’s remarks, along with criticism from others, diminished his joy from participating in the show despite his hard work and positive attitude.
After Bones’ TikTok video, Bergeron publicly apologized, clarifying his comments were about the show’s voting system and not intended to hurt Bones personally.

Bobby Bones won the 27th season of Dancing With the Stars back in 2018, but he no longer has the Mirrorball Trophy to prove it.

In a TikTok video posted on Monday (November 12), the radio host revealed he sent his trophy “back to ABC” following constant criticism over his victory. This came after a recent interview former host Tom Bergeron gave to Parade, where he slammed Bones’ win.

Bones played a clip from Bergeron’s interview in which he was asked which elimination shocked him the most. “You’re asking about eliminations, [but] the thing that shocked me the most was a win,” Bergeron said. “Bobby Bones… that was when I went hmmm.”

He continued, “Bobby Bones was the first time I kind of… it was like ouch.”

@mrbobbybonesEverybody dance!♬ original sound – Mrbobbybones

“This was hurtful,” Bones said of Bergeron’s comments. “Not because of what was said but because of who said it. [Bergeron] talking about me, except they didn’t even ask him a question about me, he flipped it to give me as the answer.”

“Like, what was I supposed to do on that show?” Bones continued, noting he “didn’t even want to” do DWTS but agreed to it because ABC wanted him to promote another project he was hosting on the network. “Am I supposed to not show up and work hard?”

He added, “It’s crazy the amount of hate I get, even from people I respect like Tom Bergeron there, and Julianne Hough, which, I don’t know her, but I feel like a sixth grader and all the ninth grade dancing kids are shoving me in lockers.”

“What did I do? I had a great attitude. I worked hard, and here we are, six years later, I’m still catching strays out of nowhere,” Bones went on to say before revealing he no longer has the Mirrorball Trophy.

“I sent the trophy back,” Bones stated. “They don’t want me to be a part of the show, obviously, so I don’t want to be somewhere that doesn’t want me to be there. I sent the trophy back to ABC. I no longer have the Mirrorball trophy.”

Even though he said he “loved” his time on the show, Bones admitted that the “hurtful” comments “have taken all the joy away from my time on that show.”

Following Bones’ TikTok video, Bergeron issued an apology. The former host took to his Instagram page to share a screenshot of a message he sent to The Bobby Bones Show presenter.

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A post shared by Tom Bergeron (@tombergeron)

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“Bobby, it wasn’t my intention to hurt your feelings. My ‘ouch’ was based on my honest feeling that your win spoke to a need to address the balance between judge and viewer voting,” Bergeron wrote.

He added, “I always felt bad that you & Sharna [Burgess] had to deal with the aftermath of that win & I certainly regret pouring any salt into that old wound.”

Bones has yet to respond publicly to Bergeron’s apology.

Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+ (Streaming Next Day on Hulu)

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