Alfonso Ribeiro, co-host of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” says Tyra Banks was not given the tools needed to thrive in her role.
Ribeiro believes Banks’s time leading the long-running dance competition show was hampered by timing and structure rather than her performance. Speaking in a new interview with Parade magazine, he said that Banks stepped into the position under circumstances that made success difficult.
“Unfortunately for Tyra, she came onto the show during COVID,” Ribeiro said. “And not having the ability to connect with the celebrities and with the pros, how do you do that? It was always a two-person job. It became a one-woman show.”
Banks joined DWTS in 2020, becoming both host and executive producer after longtime emcee Tom Bergeron and co-host Erin Andrews departed. The season was filmed under strict pandemic protocols. Social distancing measures limited audience interaction and behind-the-scenes contact between talent and crew.
Ribeiro, who began co-hosting with Banks in 2022, said she inherited a show from a seasoned host and was severely limited in her presentation.
“You’re following Tom Bergeron, the best host on television, right? You don’t have a co-partner … it’s just you,” he said. “Everything about her first two seasons was a setup for failure.”
Despite the challenges, Ribeiro emphasized that there was no personal conflict between them.
“At the end of the day, I was friends with Tyra. I still am friends with Tyra, and I respect Tyra immensely,” he said.
Banks left the show in 2023, saying she wanted to focus on her business ventures and creative projects.
“I feel it’s really time for me to focus on my business and my entrepreneurship
and also producing more TV—but behind the scenes,” Tyra told TMZ. “I think it’s time to graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor…From the ballroom to the boardroom!”Ribeiro remained in the hosting role after Banks’ departure. He was later joined by former “Dancing With the Stars” dancer Julianne Hough.
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