How Tom Bergeron Became One of TV’s Most Beloved Hosts

Tom Bergeron reflected on his long career as a television host—and he shared the one big trick he always used while on camera.

In February 2025, the veteran “Dancing with the Stars” host opened up in an interview  with Entertainment Tonight to talk about his career on long-running shows such as Hollywood Squares” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

Bergeron also talked about his work with the Motion Picture & Television Fund and the important things the foundation does for those in the entertainment industry.

Tom Bergeron Shared the ‘Secret’ to His Long Hosting Career

Bergeron was a television staple for nearly 40 years, starting out on morning shows before moving to a six-year stint as host of “Hollywood Squares.” He went on to host “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Dancing With the Stars” for more than 15 years. He exited the ABC celebrity ballroom competition in 2020.

When asked by ET correspondent Kevin Frazier for the secret to his long hosting career, Bergeron admitted there wasn’t one. “For me, it’s just been good fortune jumping from one TV show lily pad to the next, sometimes doing them simultaneously,” he admitted. “I don’t know that there’s any clear recipe for that.”

Bergeron did have one piece of advice, which he said he had given to broadcast journalism majors over the years. “I will say this, though, and I’ve said it to students. Whether you’re in a small market TV studio station [or a major one], you’re talking to one person,” he shared. “I look into that camera and I’m thinking of one person.”

Bergeron noted that it helped to maintain an “illusion of intimacy” with viewers.

According to Us Weekly, Bergeron previously told fans about his method as he thanked them for the kind messages they sent after he left DWTS. “I have read them and I have been truly humbled,” he wrote on his former Twitter account. “Whenever I looked into the camera’s lens, regardless of which show I was hosting, I imagined a connection with a single person; not a mass audience. It appears the connection was made. You can’t beat that.”

Tom Bergeron Explained Why the MPTF is So Important to Him

Since leaving DWTS, Bergeron has become even more involved with the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Some of the assistance includes health and social services, financial aid, residential living, and more, per the MPTF website.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in 2024 Bergeron co-hosted and produced MPTF’s fundraising telethon for the third year in a row.  While the fund helps working and retired members in the entertainment industry who are in need of assistance, this year the need is greater than ever.

Speaking with ET, Bergeron shared that MPTF’s Oscars “Night Before” fundraiser will also benefit victims of the Los Angeles wildfires that occurred earlier this year. He also explained why the MPTF is so important to him. “What it has done for over 100 years is provide a very important safety net for all of us in the entertainment community. In front of, behind the cameras,” Bergeron said.

The DWTS alum told Frazier that it’s more important than ever to have a safety net in the aftermath of the pandemic, writers strikes, and the tragic California wildfires in early 2025. “The need for that safety net has never been greater. It’s something when one of those things happens. But when you get the trifecta, it’s just devastating,” he said.

Bergeron said the “Night Before” gala is one of the biggest fundraisers for MTPF. “It’s a big party, and I would imagine there’s a certain amount of anxiety that is being vented because the very next day they have to sit there and wonder if their name is going to be called [for an Oscar],” he added of the celebrity attendees.