During an encounter with a TMZ camera woman in Santa Monica, California, on Thursday, Tyra Banks revealed she does not intend to return as the host of Dancing With the Stars for the upcoming season. The 49-year-old supermodel and businesswoman explained that she wants to concentrate on her various business ventures, such as her ice cream brand, SMiZE, and Dream, as well as producing more TV shows behind the scenes. She believes it’s time to shift her focus “from the dance floor to the stock market floor.” When asked if she was leaving DWTS, Banks replied, “I think it’s time. Don’t you think it’s time?”
As for why she’s choosing to pull the curtain on her hosting career, Banks explained she’s “an entrepreneur at heart…” She believes that her heart is in doing business. She also revealed that she was working on producing a new business show which would be aired soon. “You’ll see me creating things, not just hosting things,” she added.
Tyra Banks became a host of DWTS in 2020, replacing the controversially dismissed co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. Last season, Banks co-hosted the 31st season on Disney+ with Alfonso Ribeiro, a former DWTS winner and longtime friend from their time on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In September 2022, Banks expressed her enthusiasm for working alongside Ribeiro.
Since DWTS premiered in 2005, Bergeron, aged 67, had hosted the reality dance competition with various co-hosts. Andrews, aged 44, joined him as a co-host in 2014.
Banks, on the other hand, had previously served as a co-host on America’s Got Talent during its 12th season and hosted The Tyra Banks Show. She also created America’s Next Top Model and has launched several business ventures over the years, including her own ice cream brand, SMiZE Cream.