Things are heating up on the dance floor as we enter the ninth week of this season of Dancing with the Stars. Just seven couples remain, with celebrities Alix Earle, Whitney Leavitt, Robert Irwin, Dylan Efron, Jordan Chiles, Elaine Hendrix and Andy Richter all still competing for the Mirrorball Trophy. Tuesday night will be a celebration of 20 years of the reality dance competition, complete with a dance relay, couple dances, former champs and a returning show icon.

Tom Bergeron, the long time ex-host of Dancing with the Stars, is making his return for the first time since 2019. Bergeron hosted the competition starting with Season 1 before departing at the conclusion of Season 28. Tuesday, Bergeron will make an appearance as a guest judge, sitting alongside regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.

Why did Tom Bergeron leave Dancing with the Stars?

The charismatic host has been very open about his feelings after being let go by Dancing with the Stars, and it seemed unlikely that he'd ever be back in the ballroom. But since producer Conrad Green -- who held the role when Bergeron was host -- is now back in that role again, the fences seem to have been mended.

ABC and DWTS shared a joint statement in July of 2020 announcing the hosting change, which also included co-host Erin Andrews. "Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family," the statement read. "As we embark on a new creative direction, he departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark wit and charm that helped make this show a success."

After the announcement, Bergeron posted on his personal Twitter account "Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me. It's been an incredible 15-year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. I'm grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?"

Bergeron opened up further in 2021 during an appearance on Bob Saget's Here For You podcast. "In all candor, the show that I left was not the show that I loved," Bergeron explained. "So at the end of the season that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew. I took everything out of my dressing room that I really wanted. ... It was kind of obvious that we were kind of butting heads [behind-the-scenes]. It wasn't a pleasant [experience]."

There was also speculation that Bergeron's departure was linked to his vocal displeasure over Donald Trump's former press secretary Sean Spicer joining the Season 28 cast.

Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC at 8pm ET.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Tom Bergeron is returning to 'DWTS' after 5-year absence

Reporting by Caroline Darney, For The Win / For The Win

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