Tom Bergeron

Thomas Raymond Bergeron (born May 6, 1955) is an American television personality best known for hosting America's Funniest Home Videos from 2001 to 2015 and Dancing with the Stars from 2005 to 2019. The latter was based on the popular British television programme Strictly Come Dancing.

Tom Bergeron
Bergeron in April 2009
Born
Thomas Raymond Bergeron

(1955-05-06) May 6, 1955
OccupationTelevision host, game show host, comedian, actor
Years active1981–present
Known forAmerica's Funniest Home Videos (2001-2015)
Dancing with the Stars (2005–2019)
Spouse(s)
Lois Bergeron
(m. 1982)
Children2

Early life and career

Bergeron was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, the son of Ray and Kay Bergeron.[1] He is of French-Canadian and Irish descent.[2]

His first job in broadcasting was as a disc jockey at local radio station WHAV, in his home town of Haverhill, Massachusetts. He became a popular radio DJ in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire in the early 1980s on Portsmouth's WHEB,[3] where he played comedy records along with music and offbeat interviews. His popularity led to additional TV and radio auditions.

One of his first jobs on television was as host of a local game show, Granite State Challenge, on New Hampshire Public Television (produced at NHPTV flagship station WENH-TV). He moved to the Boston market in February 1982, joining WBZ-TV as a general on-air personality. His early roles at the station included being a contributor on Evening Magazine (1982–87), and hosting brief informational and show preview segments known as 4 Today, every 30 minutes during WBZ's daytime lineup (1983–87). In 1984, he landed the hosting spot on Lottery Live, the nightly drawings of the Massachusetts State Lottery games. By January 1987, while still working in these roles, Bergeron added People Are Talking to his duties. He replaced outgoing host Buzz Luttrell on the early afternoon talk show, where he gained even more popularity. While Ron Cantera took over as host of 4 Today (until its cancellation in 1988), Bergeron remained lottery host until drawings moved to WNEV-TV in August 1987. Bergeron additionally served as the original host of WBZ's weekend morning teenage discussion series Rap-Around[4] from 1987 to 1989.

By the early 1990s, Bergeron was seen as a solid figure in Boston television, and WBZ continued to capitalize on his talents by featuring him on WBZ Radio. It was there he had an early-morning radio show called The Tom Bergeron Show. When People Are Talking ended a successful 13-year run in June 1993, Bergeron remained on WBZ-TV as commentator and lifestyle reporter for the station's expanded hour-long noon newscast. In early 1994, Bergeron briefly surfaced as a morning host on Boston's soft-rock station WMJX ("Magic 106.7"), which was only a short commute to WBZ's studios for his work on the noon news.

Bergeron credits a portion of his success as a television personality to his more than 35 years of regularly practicing Transcendental Meditation.[5] He discussed his meditation practice on 10 Percent Happier with Dan Harris[6] and The Fifth Dimension: A Mindfulness Podcast.[7]

National television work

From 1994 to 1997, Bergeron co-hosted the morning show Breakfast Time on FX and later re-titled Fox After Breakfast when the show moved to the Fox Network.

Bergeron was the host of Hollywood Squares from 1998-2004, a role for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host in 2000.

In July 2001, he became the new host of the ABC series America's Funniest Home Videos. In March 2014, Bergeron announced on Twitter that he would not be hosting America's Funniest Home Videos after season 25. Bergeron's final episode of America's Funniest Home Videos aired May 17, 2015.[8] He was replaced by Alfonso Ribeiro.[9]

In June 2005, he began hosting the reality series Dancing with the Stars, also on ABC. For his work on Dancing with the Stars, he received nine Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program, winning the award once in 2012. On July 13, 2020, Bergeron announced he had been let go from the series ahead of its 29th season in a message posted on Twitter.[10]

On September 20, 2008, Bergeron co-hosted the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards alongside Heidi Klum, Jeff Probst, Ryan Seacrest, and Howie Mandel. The five were selected to host in recognition of their nominations in the inaugural category of Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.

In 2020, Bergeron competed on the third season of The Masked Singer as The Taco, before being unmasked on the episode that aired March 4.[11]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Nanny Himself Episode: "Making Whoopi"
1987–1990 People Are Talking Host 3 episodes
1994–1997 Breakfast Time Host
1996 The Daily Show Himself 2 episodes
1998–2004 Hollywood Squares Host 1,047 episodes
2001–2015 America's Funniest Home Videos Host 289 episodes
Also producer
2002–2005 Star Trek: Enterprise Coridan Ambassador, Alien Trader D'Marr 2 episodes
2005–2019 Dancing with the Stars Co-Host 443 episodes
2005–present Entertainment Tonight Himself 20 episodes
2006–2019 Good Morning America Himself 21 episodes
2009 Rock Slyde Randy Wonder
2010 Castle Bobby Mann Episode: "The Late Shaft"
2011 Phineas and Ferb Announcer (voice) Episode: "Perry the Actorpus/Bullseye!"
2015 The Muppets Himself Episode: "Pig Girls Don't Cry"
2017 The $100,000 Pyramid Himself/Panelist Episode: "Leslie Jones vs. LL Cool J and Tom Bergeron vs. Jennifer Nettles"
2017 To Tell the Truth Himself/Panelist 2 episodes
2017 The 3rd Annual Carney Awards Himself/Host Television special
2017 Access Daily Himself 1 episode
2018 Candy Jar Principal Nelson
2018 Behind Closed Doors Himself Episode: "John Ritter"
2018 Steve Himself Episode: "Tom Bergeron/Cali Champion, Dr. V & Alesha Renee"
2018 Animals. Himself Episode: "Pigeons"
2018 The Messenger The Messenger Also producer
2020 The Masked Singer Taco/Himself Episode: "Friends in High Places: Group B Championships"
2020 Down the Middle Rex Filming

References

  1. Mike LaBella (June 11, 2009). "TV host Bergeron returns to his native Haverhill for book signing". eagletribune.com.
  2. Don Freeman (February 17, 1999). Host sees humor go full circle Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine at the ProQuest Archiver. The San Diego Union Tribune.
  3. McMahon, Charles (2013), Legendary Locals of Portsmouth, Arcadia Publishing, p. 97, ISBN 9781467100762
  4. "Dancing With the Stars Host Tom Bergeron Talks Live". Washington Post. April 23, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  5. "'Dancing With the Stars' host Tom Bergeron says meditation helps him react during a live show". ABC News. September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  6. "Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris - #100: Tom Bergeron, 'Dancing With the Stars' Host {!} Listen via Stitcher for Podcasts". stitcher.com. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  7. "The Fifth Dimension: Tom Bergeron - Hollywood Zen on Apple Podcasts". podcasts.apple.com. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  8. Oldenburg, Ann (2014-03-12). "Tom Bergeron quits 'America's Funniest Home Videos'". USA Today. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
  9. ABC Renews 'The Bachelor,' 'Shark Tank,' 'Funniest Home Videos', Variety, May 9, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2014
  10. ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Hosts Tom Bergeron & Erin Andrews To Exit ABC Reality Competition, Deadline Hollywood, July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020
  11. Parker, Lyndsey (March 4, 2020). "The bell tolls for the Taco: 'Masked Singer' castoff is seasoned TV host". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
Media offices
Preceded by
John Davidson
(1986–1989)
Host of Hollywood Squares
1998–2004
Succeeded by
Peter Rosenberg
(Hip Hop Squares, 2012)
Preceded by
none
Co-Host of Dancing with the Stars
2005–2019
With: Lisa Canning (2005)
Samantha Harris (2006–2009)
Brooke Burke (2010–2013)
Erin Andrews (2014–2019)
Succeeded by
Tyra Banks
Preceded by
Daisy Fuentes & John Fugelsang
Host of America's Funniest Home Videos
2001–2015
Succeeded by
Alfonso Ribeiro
Preceded by
Ben Stein and Jimmy Kimmel
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host
2000
tie with Bob Barker
Succeeded by
Regis Philbin
Preceded by
Wayne Brady
Host of Miss America
2003
Succeeded by
Chris Harrison
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