Tyra Banks is BLASTED on Twitter as fans react to her Dancing With The Stars host debut

Tyra Banks bravely made her debut as host of Dancing With The Stars on Monday evening during the show’s season 29 premiere.

And fans of the long-running celebrity competition series took to Twitter to ruthlessly BLAST the 46-year-old supermodel’s performance.

A majority of the tweets desperately begged for the return of veteran hosts Tom Bergeron, 65, and Erin Andrews, 42, who were shockingly canned in July.

Bergeron had been with the Dancing With The Stars franchise since it launched in 2005, while his former co-host Andrews joined the show in 2014.

In an interview with Extra earlier this month, Andrews revealed that her and Tom’s unexpected dismissals from Dancing With The Stars ‘was a surprise’ and that hers came via phone call.

Though there was never a direct reason given as to why the pair were axed, Valerie Bruce, general manager of LA Productions, stated that Dancing With The Stars was being taken ‘in a new creative direction’ for season 29.

She also offered her, ‘sincere thanks to Tom and Erin, whom we will always consider part of the Dancing with the Stars’ family.’

The pair were let go just days before DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Tyra Banks would be taking over their hosting gig.  

‘Can Tyra please be the first one sent home?’ wrote one fan, referencing to the series’ nerve-wracking weekly eliminations.

Another Twitter user declared that replacing Tom and Erin with Tyra ‘replaced the heart of the show.’

‘Nothing against her, but it just sounds so off when you hear her voice instead of Tom Bergeron’s. On a year where people WANT comfort of the familiar… it’s just a really poor decision,’ they explained. 

Many fans on Twitter aggressively attacked the higher-ups at Dancing With The Stars for ‘firing’ Tom and Erin.

‘The person who fired Tom Bergeron and replaced him with Tyra Banks needs be run out of town. She’s awful,’ one wrote.

‘Who ever came up with putting Tyra on this show needs to be fired,’ mirrored another.

The Twitter user also added a gif of Justin Timberlake from one of his appearances on SNL to the tweet, which read: ‘Bad idea. Shouldn’t have done that.’

One fan went as far as to label Tom’s dismissal from Dancing With The Stars as ageist, being that he is 65 and Tyra is 46.

‘Friendly reminder that Tom Bergeron being fired from #DWTS is ageist,’ they began. ‘Tyra Banks is a terrible host and Carole Baskin killed her husband.’

Devout Dancing With The Stars viewers accused Banks of making the show ‘all about her,’ due to her frequent comments and her eye-catching ensembles worn during the premiere episode.

‘The show just started and Tyra already got on my nerves,’ read on tweet, followed by a rolling eye emoji.

One fan said that Tyra was ‘trying too hard to be funny’ and that her attempts at humor were ‘not working.’ 

‘At least Tyra isn’t making it all about her,’ one fan sarcastically tweeted, while attaching an image of Tyra wearing a bright red ball gown and matching arm-length gloves on the show.

Many compared Bank’s scene stealing ensemble that she wore for her grand entrance to a ‘Bath & Body Works’ luffa.

‘My face lit up when I saw the dancers…then Tyra walked out,’ tweeted a fan, who was clearly not feeling Tyra’s energy.

One clearly unimpressed DWTS viewer labeled Tyra as the ‘most hated woman on DWTS this season,’ above the polarizing Tiger King star Carole Baskin. 

Despite the online backlash, Banks looked in her element as she guided the viewers, judges, dancers, and competitors through Monday night’s season premiere.

‘Whoo! Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe it. I’m finally here. My family and I have been fans of this show since day one. And look, mama, I’m in the ballroom!’ shouted Banks excitedly into her microphone as she entered the ballroom.  

‘Welcome to Dancing with the stars! Right here, right now!’ 

Tyra rocked a voluminous head of curls and a dramatic face of feature flattering makeup as she reacted animatedly to the show’s prerecorded applause. 

She spoke directly to viewers at home and admitted how much of a ‘dream come true’ her hosting gig on Dancing With The Stars was for her.  

Banks added: ‘I’m so grateful to be a part of this incredible legacy.’

She then introduced the season 29 contestants who include Baskin, cheer team coach Monica Aldama, Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe, NFL star Vernon Davis, actress Skai Jackson, actress Justina Machado, TV host Jeannie Mai, Jesse Metcalfe, rapper Nelly, TV host Nev Schulman, real estate agent Chrishell Stause, Olympian Johnny Weir, film actress Anne Heche, former NBA star Charles Oakley and Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean. 

In an effortless transition, Tyra addressed the social-distancing guidelines in place, down to the positioning of the judges and dancers and even the layout of the show’s iconic ballroom.

‘As you can see, to ensure the safety of our cast and our phenomenal crew, we’ve given the ballroom a serious makeover. Even the judges have made some room for social distancing,’ said the former America’s Next Top Model host.

She then introduced the judges for season 29, which included series regulars Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba and the newly added Derek Hough.  

‘And we want to welcome our new judge, six-time mirror ball champion, Derek Hough, announced Tyra, before inquiring about the 35-year-old pro dancer’s excitement towards his new gig. 

‘This is where America first met you, as a dancer, and now you’re a judge. What is it like to be on that side of the desk?’

Derek gushed over how much Dancing With The Stars ‘means to [him]’ and that he is ‘so excited to be here.’

Tyra explained to viewers that veteran judge Len Goodman ‘wasn’t able to safely travel from the U.K. to the United States,’ hence why Hough replaced him.

Goodman, 76, appeared virtually during Monday night’s premiere to congratulate Derek, encourage the competitors, and to give Tyra a ’10’ for her performance as host.

‘Guess what. You’re getting a 10 from Len,’ said Goodman with a smile, to which Tyra replied: ‘Oh, thanks, Len. Wow. A 10 from Len. I’m going to tear up.’

After Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean ‘shot right out of the cannon’ with his dance partner Cheryl Burke with the jive, Banks returned to the floor in an eye-popping fuchsia pantsuit.

Tyra did not hold back as she engaged in frequent laugh-filled banter with the judges, coaches, and celebrity contestants, while keeping in tune with the show’s fast paced format.

In the style of her hit series America’s Next Top Model, Tyra came in clutch with the colloquialisms as she reacted to the judges’ scores.

At one point, Derek, Carrie Ann, and Bruno gave Extra TV host Jeannie Mai and her pro partner Brandon Armstrong high praise for their energetic salsa, while only delivering a collective score of 18 out of 30.

Which, at that point in the show, was the fourth 18 point score of the evening. 

‘These judges are shady. They are shady. Right? I’m sorry. The shade in the room, and the tea that is being sipped at home right now,’ remarked Tyra playfully as she fanned herself with her cue card.  

Banks experienced a minor wardrobe malfunction towards the end of Monday night’s broadcast, but she shook off the incident like a total pro 

‘I lost an earring,’ she announced, before untangling a single chandelier earrings from her hair.

‘I promised y’all that I was gonna be REAL real [on this show]. I may pass it to you, Carrie Ann. Take this earring, girl. Catch. Scores?’

After all 12 competitors performed their dance routines out on the ballroom floor, Tyra reminded viewers at home to ‘cast [their] votes next Tuesday night’ for their favorites. 

‘The glitter has been flying. That was bananas crazy, off the chain. It was the first night for all these stars and they brought it,’ as she began closing out the lengthy season premiere. 

‘You guys, I had such a great time tonight. I hope you did, too. Thank you so much for welcoming me into this ballroom,’ she concluded.

15 contestants and their pro partners performed during the season 29 premiere, including Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause and Tiger King’s Carole Baskin.

Baskin, 59, performed a passionate paso doble routine to the tune of Survivor’s hit song Eye Of The Tiger with pro dancer Pasha Pashkov.

Baskin in a long skirt with tiger stripes and wearing a purple wreath freed Pasha from a cage filled with stuffed tiger animals. 

They received a score of 11 points from the judges and ended up at the bottom of the leaderboard at the end of the premiere. 

Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, 42, was teamed with pro dancer Cheryl Burke and they scored 18 for their first dance.

Stause, 39, who stars in the Netflix reality show Selling Sunset, was up next with pro partner Gleb Savchenko and scored 13 points. 

Former professional football player Vernon Davis, 36, and pro partner Peta Murgatroyd performed a foxtrot that earned positive reviews from the judges and 17 points. 

Anne Heche, 51, danced a cha-cha with pro partner Keo Motsepe to the hit song Don’t Start Now by Dua Lipa that ended with a big dramatic dip.

They earned scores of six from all three judges for 18 points.

Jeannie Mae, 41, and pro partner Brandon Armstrong in neon green outfits performed a salsa that earned 18 points from the judges. 

Jesse Metcalfe, 41, and pro partner Sharna Burgess performed a quickstep that Hough called a ‘great first dance’.

They earned a scored of 18 points from the judges.

The show’s youngest competitor Skai Jackson, 18, and pro partner Alan Bersten scored 21 points and became early favorites. 

The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe, 35, performed a cha-cha with pro partner Artem Chigvintsev, 38, who returned to the show after not appearing on season 28.

Bristowe and Chigvintsev, who recently welcomed a son with fiancee Nikki Bella, received a score of 20 points from the judges.

Catfish host Nev Schulman, 35, danced a foxtrot with Jenna Johnson that the judges raved about before awarding them a score of 20 points.  

Johnny Weir, 36, was partnered with Britt Stewart who was making her debut as a pro dancer on the show. They performed a cha-cha that earned cheers in the rafters from fellow contestants and a score of 18 from the judges. 

One Day At A Time star Justina Machado, 48, was paired with pro dancer Sasha Farber. They hyped up the ballroom with their energy while performing and earned 21 points from the judges.

Former NBA star Charles Oakley, 56, was teamed with pro partner Emma Slater and they danced a salsa that earned a score of 12 from the judges.

Monica Aldama, who was featured in the Netflix docuseries Cheer, was partnered with pro dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy and admitted to him that she was ‘terrified’.

They danced a foxtrot to My Wish by Rascal Flatts and earned a scored of 19 points.

Nelly, 45, and pro dancer Daniella Karagach performed a salsa to his song Ride With Me that ended with the rapper and singer doing a backflip.

Tonioli said their interplay was ‘fun’, while Inaba admitted that she was surprised by Nelly’s backflip before the judges awarded them with 16 points.  

Aside from becoming the series’ first Black female host, Banks was also awarded an executive producer title, which revealed on Good Morning America in July.

‘ABC wanted to freshen the show up and take it in a new direction,’ one source said.

‘Tyra is an experienced TV host who knows how to produce great TV and make TV moments.’

‘She’s dynamic and fun and will bring a whole new energy to the show.’

In a statement, Tyra gushed over having ‘been a fan of DWTS since its beginning’ and that she was always drawn to ”the fun mixed with raw emotion, seeing celebrities push past their comfort zones, the sizzling dance performances.’

‘It’s always transported me to my days of turning it up 10 notches on the catwalk. Tom has set a powerful stage, and I’m excited to continue the legacy and put on my executive producer and hosting hats.’

Banks also said she was ‘excited’ to step into the role of both host and executive producer and thrilled to ‘break down’ barriers by becoming the show’s first solo black female host.

In a recent interview with NPR, just days before the DWTS season 29 premiere, the supermodel she felt nervous ‘stepping into [Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews] shoes’ on the series.

‘I think the challenge is stepping into shoes. I mean, you know, Tom Bergeron and Erin. They lead the show, this is one of the top-rated shows in the world. So [I’m] respecting the stage that they have set and then adding my icing to that,’ she explained.

Although she ‘feels confident’ about stepping up as the show’s new hostess, she recognizes that ‘of course, it’s a challenge.’

She added: ‘But I don’t back away from challenges.’