Heavy/Getty/ABC
Tom Bergeron.
Tom Bergeron will receive a special award nearly four years after he was fired from “Dancing With the Stars.”
The former ABC host will be the inaugural recipient of the newly established Sam Rubin Award, The Wrap reported on June 10, 2024. Bergeron will receive the award, established in honor of late Los Angeles entrainment journalist and Critics Choice Association’s Board of Directors member Sam Rubin, at the sixth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on June 15. Rubin died suddenly in May 2024 at age 64.
Bergeron was the host on “Dancing With the Stars” for 28 seasons. In July 2020, he announced his sudden departure from the ABC celebrity ballroom competition. Tyra Banks replaced Bergeron and stayed on for three seasons before Alfonso Ribeiro replaced her. Riberio will be a presenter at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.
Tom Bergeron Said He is ‘Honored & Humbled’ to Receive the Very First Sam Rubin Award
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 19: KTLA Entertainment Reporter Sam Rubin at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards – Behind The Scenes Day 2 at The Shrine Auditorium on January 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Turner)
Bergeron shared news of his upcoming award on his Instagram page shortly after the report of his special award came out. The veteran television host simply captioned a screenshot of the news story with, “Honored and humbled.”
Bergeron received congratulatory messages from fans and friends.
“This is fantastic! Love u,” wrote Bergeron’s former “Dancing With the Stars” co-host Erin Andrews.
“Congrats dance dad! 👏🎉,” commented former “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Cheryl Burke.
Former ‘Dancing With the Stars” season 14 Melissa Gilbert wrote to Bergeron, “Of course you are.”
“Life is fair sometimes. Congrats,” added “Star Trek: The Next Generation” alum Jonathan Frakes.
Tom Bergeron Paid Tribute to His Friend Sam Rubin Following His Unexpected Death
KTLA/YouTubeTom Bergeron; Sam Rubin.
On May 10, 2024, TMZ confirmed that popular entertainment anchor Sam Rubin died suddenly of a heart attack. Rubin, who was a fixture on KTLA-TV since 1991 and was on the air the day before he died, when he interviewed actress Jane Seymour. Seymour was a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars” season 5. Rubin was also a friend to the entire “Dancing With the Stars” family.
Bergeron shared a video clip of his last on-camera interview with Rubin, which took place about six months before his death. The guest spot was to promote Bergeron’s gig as a host for a telethon for the Motion Picture & Television Fund. During the interview, Rubin shared that he manned the phone bank for the telethon the prior year. He noted that he was “replaced” for the 2023 telethon, and Bergeron cracked, “Well I heard you have a clause in your contract where you only work one weekend every two tears.”
Bergeron captioned the clip with a tribute to Rubin.
“Stunned to hear that @samontv has died,” Bergeron wrote in May. “I always enjoyed my @ktla5news visits with him & deeply appreciated his continued support of @mptf. This was our most recent chat in advance of last December’s @mptf telethon. He was an LA TV institution. Sending condolences to his family and large circle of friends 😔.”
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