Tyra Banks' 'Power Is Unstoppable' After 'DWTS' Ratings Soar, Insider Says
Sept. 16 2020, Published 3:16 p.m. ET
The new season of Dancing With the Stars — which is now hosted by Tyra Banks — was up a whopping 30 percent over last season's premiere, giving Banks unprecedented power over the show that she now also executive produces, OK! has learned.
"There was a lot of nervous people at ABC the day after the premiere waiting for the numbers to come in. The majority of insiders were not impressed by Tyra’s opening night performance and were resisting all the other changes she wanted to make to the show. But now, after the huge ratings success, Tyra’s power is unstoppable," a source exclusively tells OK!.
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"The people that doubted her were wrong and are now worried about their job, while the people that supported Tyra won and she has their backs. There are two camps at the team — camp Banks and camp Bergeron," the insider adds, referring to former host Tom Bergeron. "It is clear which team won, and now, any resistance to more Tyra changes will disappear. If you thought working for Tyra was bad before, just wait now that she has delivered huge numbers."
The super model, 46 — who is a "very hands-on" boss — "now has the ultimate power" and is making big changes to the reality show. "Expect to see more fashion on the show, more runway type segments and more Tyra," the source explains. "Backstage the show is now referred to as Dancing With Tyra Banks!"
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However, there are still some folks within ABC who do not approve of Banks and believe the numbers are only up because people wanted to see Carole Baskin try and strut her stuff on the dance floor. "It is a little too soon for Tyra to be celebrating yet," the insider dishes. "Let's see how the show ratings are after the novelty of Carole wears off."
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In July, ABC announced that Bergeron and Erin Andrews would no longer be hosting the show, and Banks would take their place instead. After the shocking news, the mom of one told Good Morning America she was "excited about hosting and executive producing" the series. "You never know what happens on live TV," she said.
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Following the premiere on Monday, September 14, fans couldn't help but point out that they were less than thrilled with Banks' hosting skills. One person wrote, "Can Tyra Banks be the first person voted off, thanks! #dwts," while another echoed, "Tyra Banks has ruined Dancing With the Stars ... she tries to be funny but keeps falling flat ... #bringtomback #DancingWiththeStars."
The show kicked off with a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 and averaged 8.1 million viewers. Banks brought in the highest-rated DWTS premiere since 2017.