‘Dancing With The Stars’ Trades Erin Andrews For Kym Johnson

Erin Andrews has revealed that she will be missing Week 3 of Dancing with the Stars due to personal reasons, leaving an open co-host slot to be filled. Tom Bergeron will still be filling his usual position, but in Andrews’ absence, he will be joined by Kym Johnson, who co-hosts another portion of the Dancing with the Stars media presentation. Normally, Johnson serves as a host on DWTS: All-Access, an online interview series, so she’ll be pulling double duty in an effort to provide Erin the time she needs to be away from Dancing with the Stars.

Why Erin Andrews Is Taking A Break From Dancing With The Stars

According to People, Erin made the announcement on Monday that she wouldn’t be available for Week 3 of Dancing with the Stars, because she wanted to be with family through an especially difficult time. In a tweet, Ms. Andrews thanked fans and her DWTS family for supporting her decision and added that she looking forward to returning for the show’s Week 4 episode. Erin is taking the break to provide emotional support for her boyfriend, Jarret Stoll, as he deals with the death of his nephew.

“My pal @ErinAndrews will be absent from @DancingABC this week to support @jarretstoll whose nephew passed away. Sending hugs and condolences,” added 61-year-old Bergeron in a tweet of his own.

Mr. Bergeron said that Dancing with the Stars would go on with a new, temporary co-host, though at the time he wasn’t able to reveal the name of that fill-in co-host. Bergeron’s statement was made early, so the decision to bring in Kym Johnson was most likely far from a certainty. Dancing with the Stars producers may have been searching for a fill-in without adding an extra burden to series cast members already dealing with their own duties.

Kym Johnson Is Happy To Play Dancing With The Stars Co-Host

Ms. Johnson is normally a professional dancer with Dancing with the Stars, but as she’s not competing this year, E! News reveals that Kym has been filling the co-hosting spot for the live interview DWTS: All-Access online supplement show. Now, she’ll be joining Tom Bergeron on the main show.

In her past performances as dancing pro, Johnson has walked away with two mirrorball trophies. Kym married her most recent partner from Season 20, Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec.

The news that Kym will fill in for Andrews as co-host on Dancing with the Stars comes only a short time after Kym announced her decision to hang up her dancing shoes. In her statement, Kym seems pretty adamant about not returning to Dancing with the Stars, though she may have meant that only in the capacity of a dancer.

“I love the show and I love to still be part of it, but you know, I still want to hang up my dance shoes and what a way to end,” Kym Johnson said, according to Yahoo TV. “It’s like, ‘Thank you, Dancing With the Stars.'”

Ms. Johnson will also be a Dancing with the Stars co-host on tomorrow night’s elimination episode, making it a two-night guest host event. As Erin Andrews revealed, she will be back in her regular co-hosting spot next week.

Neither Erin Andrews nor Jarret has commented on the death of Stoll’s nephew, as far as what may have caused his untimely passing. Erin did remark on the tragic boating accident that claimed the life of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez.

“No words… awful,” the Dancing with the Stars co-host tweeted in response to the news of Fernandez’s passing.

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays and Tuesdays on ABC.

[Featured Image: Erin Andrews by Rick Diamond/Getty Images; Kym Johnson by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images]