Erin Andrews Absent From DWTS — Find Out Who’s Taking Her Place

Erin Andrews is making a brief departure from Dancing With The Stars this season, but her exit isn’t nearly as dramatic as that of Brooke Burke-Charvet, whom she replaced earlier this year. Andrews is taking a hiatus to cover the World Series for Fox, E! Online reports. Andrews is replacing Pam Oliver as a sideline reporter.

Andrews made news this February, when her name was put forward as the new DWTS co-host mere days after the announcement of Burke-Charvet’s exit. The latter was cordial in her assessment of the change at the time, but not before telling E! Online she was taken aback by the move. “I’ve seen my fair share of shocking eliminations in the ballroom but this one takes the cake.” Burke-Charvet had been co-host with Tom Bergeron for seven seasons. Her exit coincided with the show’s removal of long time bandleader Harold Wheeler and his 28-member band.

Despite this precedent, Andrews seems safe in the ballroom. She is apparently only taking a break from her job as post-performance interviewer on the ABC reality series. She will be back once the World Series wraps up. Taking her place will be Leah Remini, the King of Queens actor who recently starred in her own TLC reality series, It’s All Relative. The best pal of Jennifer Lopez also spent some time as co-host at The Talk table and on the series The Exes.

In her quote to E! Online, Remini implied she may be inclined to let some words slip that may get her — and the network — in trouble.

“So excited to be back on the show, even more excited I don’t have to dance!. I hope ABC has a delay, gonna speak my mind!”

Remini’s return comes less than a year after she appeared on Season 17 as a contestant. Paired with Tony Dovolani, she came in fifth place. Remini tweeted out her excitement today, along with a snap of her name by a DWTS dressing room door.

It’s getting real! So excited for tomorrow’s show!!!! @dancingabc #dwts19 http://t.co/7EkKurg8a7

— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) October 19, 2014

Andrews, for her part, made her support for Remini clear by tweeting approval of her replacement.

Will be off @DancingABC this week to work the World Series on @FOXSports..but I know @LeahRemini will keep the ballroom in check!!

— Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews) October 18, 2014

Remini enters the DWTS fray as there are nine couples remaining and the competition is in its sixth week.

[Erin Andrews / Leah Remini Images: Google]