‘DWTS’ Tyra Banks on What a Season 30 Could Look Like

Michael Maloney November 25, 2020, 10:18 am

Tyra Banks on DWTS — ABC/Eric McCandless

Kaitlyn Bristowe (The Bachelorette) and Artem Chigvintsev weren’t the only victors on Season 29’s Dancing With the Stars finale; Tyra Banks completed her first round as host and executive producer. While the show has yet to be officially renewed for next season, Banks addressed in a post-finale virtual call what she would like to see should the reality dance competition have a 30^th anniversary season.

For starters, Banks wants six-time mirror ball champion Derek Hough, who stepped in for judge Len Goodman, to stick around.

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“Derek is so fantastic,” Banks raved. “He has such compassion. He gives the most amazing critiques. He’s firm, yet warm. I think he did a really fantastic job. I do miss Len, [but] I feel like there’s a way to have them both be here. I have a little notepad in my phone on how I can make that work, but I’ve got to get that approved by the team.”

As for a 30th season, she said, “There is something beautiful about a doing a retrospect when you hit a milestone year. At the same time, there are so many new viewers this season, and a retrospect may not resonate with them. So, if we do one, it would have to be for those diehard fans that have been here forever, but not make it so ‘inside baseball’ where the new people don’t know what the heck is going on.”

ABC/Eric McCandless

Just as it took time for Bristowe and Chigvintsev to win over judge Carrie Ann Inaba, Banks says she, too, took time to find her footing as the host of the live two-hour broadcast. “Maybe it was week four or so that I just let it go and [decided to] relax and be myself,” Banks shared. “That’s when it started to go really well…you just have to be yourself.”

As for those multiple costume changes, it’s likely she’ll keep up the fashion show. For the finale, she said, “there were three changes. Normally, we have those outfits at least a week in advance, but we chose these an hour before showtime.”

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Does she have a favorite look? “It’s changes by the second,” she said with a smile. “My favorite color is yellow so I love that yellow dress. I debated with my stylist Brendon [Alexander ]. I said we have to save the yellow dress for the finale, but he was, like, no, trust me. Then, we had the ones I wore for the finale and people liked them so, he was right.”

The secret to moving around in those ginormous gowns, she added, is actually in the footwear.: “If you ever rewatch the shows, there are some where I’m having more fun and that’s because I have sneakers on under my dress!”