Some phone calls never go forgotten.
In July, Erin Andrews learned that after six years of hosting Dancing With the Stars alongside Tom Bergeron, she would no longer be returning for season 29. How'd she receive the news? With an unexpected call. During an interview with Barstool Sports' Token CEO podcast, the longtime host, 42, reflected on getting fired from the hit reality show—and how much of a blow it initially was.
"I didn't have much time to deal with it. I got a phone call. We were on the putting green with my dog and husband and I got a call that said, ‘You know, so and so from ABC wants to talk with you,' and I was like, ‘Oh, s--t, like, this is it," Andrews said. "I felt sorry for myself and I kind of was like, this is a terrible time to lose my job because, you know, we don't know when live television is coming back. These are hard jobs to get."
She continued, "So I was like, ‘Oh no, I'm a loser. This is really bad. And then you just start talking to other people from other networks and people that have production groups and they're like, ‘You're gonna find something."
Reflecting on her time on the show, Andrews said she's taking the high road and focusing on all that's to come professionally.
"I mean, I was relieved of my Dancing With the Stars duty and everything happens for a reason," she said. "Nobody wants to be let go when it's not on their terms. But I do think there's something on the horizon. I'm definitely working my people to find something and put something on the horizon. I really enjoyed being in that space."
For Andrews, the "horizon" hopefully will keep her in the live competition show space, which is where she feels the most comfortable. She said Elizabeth Banks has her dream job as host of ABC's Press Your Luck, and that she's bugged buddy Kevin Hart to give acting a break and co-host a talk show with her.
In the meantime, her eyes are set on the silver lining. "There are things people go through in their life. Right? And I did remind myself, by the way, there's people that have such worse stuff going on right now," she said. "I mean, give me a break. For me to be that selfish and think, ‘Oh my God, the world's ending.' People lost multiple people in their families because of COVID."
With Tyra Banks as its new host, season 29 of Dancing With the Stars premiered on Monday, Sept. 14 and fans couldn't get enough of wacky new celebrity contestants like Selling Sunset's Chrishell Stause, Cheer's Monica Aldama, and Tiger King's Carole Baskin.
Baskin's paso doble sashay to "Eye of the Tiger" was 2020 in a nutshell.