Samantha Harris Reveals the Truth Behind ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Departure

Samantha Harris detailed her 2010 Dancing with the stars exit – and claimed it didn’t happen the way fans think.

“Season 9 has concluded. I just bought a new house. We just bought a timeshare because things were going well,” Harris, 50, recalled of her DWTS departure during the Sunday, December 10 episode of the “Sex, lies and spray tans“podcast. “Then I got that phone call we never want to hear.”

Harris – who was cohost DWTS of Tom Bergeron from season 2 to season 9 – claimed she was informed by ABC executives that they were changing things up for season 10. However, at the time she agreed to tell the press a different story.

“I was with the public story that I told at the time with the blessing of ABC, which was true Entertainment tonight and they needed me more,” Harris said, noting she was asked AND to travel more for her journalism gig, which she enjoyed doing.

While Harris said it was her “choice” to announce she was leaving DWTS to ‘concentrate’ on her AND responsibilities, the ABC dance series was her “dream job” that she would have “joyed” to do full-time.

“That was painful to tell that story [about my exit],” Harris explained, adding that it was “in reality” not her decision to part ways DWTS. She claimed that an executive at ABC called her and told her, “Look, we’re going into season 10 and the network executives have decided that they need something to look different on the show.” They need something completely different to keep their eyes on.”

The journalist claimed that the network decided to cut off one of the faces of the show. “Tom was an ABC for a long time [host]Harris recalled, noting that while Bergeron was “a great partner on the show,” he didn’t seem to be at risk of losing his job when she was on the series. (Bergeron, 68, was fired in July 2020 alongside then-cohost Erin Andrews and replaced by Tyra Banks for season 29.)

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“Unfortunately, that meant I was the one who had to get the axe,” Harris said, revealing elsewhere in the podcast that her departure wasn’t the only awkward moment she had while hosting.

Harris claimed that before she told ABC she was pregnant with her first child, whom she welcomed in 2007, she was advised to gain weight.

“My interpretation was that they told me, ‘You must be mushy and chubby,’ but what they actually said to me was, ‘You’re getting too tan and too tight,'” Harris told the podcast host. Cheryl Burkeclaiming that executives said it was “confusing” for viewers because she looked too much like the dancers on camera.

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She further claimed that the higher-ups told her: “We want you to stop self-tanning” before commenting on her size. “I was actually told to gain weight. They didn’t know I was pregnant. I would gain weight,” Harris explained, noting that she was “absolutely stunned” by the alleged comments.

When Harris shared that she was pregnant, she said the network was “great” for her and allowed her to get an easier schedule.

Since Harris’ DWTS Upon departure there were several changes to the guest seat. The current emcees are Julianne Hough And Alfonso Ribeirowhich concluded season 32 earlier this month.