“DWTS celebrated twenty years on the air with a special birthday tribute. Past winners and pro dancers returned for the party. One former champion returned their Mirrorball Trophy in a shocking move. Keep reading to find out why the celebrity gave back the trophy they rightfully won.

All-Star Birthday Celebration Leaves Fans With Questions

Dancing With The Stars turned twenty this year. ABC dedicated an episode of the current season to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary. The pro dancers from the very first season returned for the first time in years. The audience was filled with former contestants and champions, including the Season 1 winner, Kelly Monaco.

The current contestants competing on Season 34 took the dance floor twice. They performed once with their pro partners and once with a former Mirrorball champion. One of the frontrunners from this season, Robert Irwin, received a message of support from Prince William all the way from the UK.
Mirrorball Trophy from DWTS promo, sourced from PEOPLE sneak peek
It left fans wondering why Dylan Efron’s famous brother, Zac Efron, hasn’t made any appearances in the audience. The brothers grew up in Arroyo Grande, California. The High School Musical star permanently moved to Australia in 2021 after selling his home in the U.S.

But some viewers don’t think that’s a good enough excuse for Zac Efron not to show up to support his brother. Dylan Efron has spoken out about wanting to escape his older brother’s shadow, which could explain why the movie star hasn’t made an appearance on DWTS.

DWTS Champ Returns Mirrorball In Shocking Move

Former host Tom Bergeron was among the returns for the birthday party. He was fired as host of DWTS in 2020. This was his first return to the show in five years. But not everyone enjoyed the comedian’s return. During an interview leading up to Tuesday’s episode, Tom Bergeron revealed which winner shocked him the most.

Like many fans, he answered Bobby Bones. The radio host won Season 27 with pro partner Sharna Burgess. The pair beat out Milo Manheim and Witney Carson, Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe, and Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten to take home the Mirrorball Trophy.

The win was a complete shock because Bobby Bones didn’t score nearly as high as the others. But the viewers voted for him en masse, leading to a huge rule change that only allows votes while the show airs live on the East Coast.

After Tom Bergeron’s comments, Bobby Bones took to social media to vent. “I try not to get my feelings hurt, especially about stuff like this, but this was hurtful,” the radio host said on TikTok.

“I worked hard, and here we are, like six years later, I’m still catching strays out of nowhere. So, I sent the trophy back. They don’t want me to be a part of the show, obviously,” he added.

“So I sent the trophy back to ABC. I no longer have the Mirrorball trophy,” the Season 27 champ said again.

Tom Bergeron Apologizes For Comments

Tom Bergeron took to social media to share a DM he sent Bobby Bones to apologize for his harsh comments. “Bobby, it wasn’t my intention to hurt your feelings,” the former DWTS host wrote.
Tom Bergeron apologizes to Bobby Bones/Credit: Instagram
He added, “I always felt bad that you & Sharna [Burgess] had to deal with the aftermath of that win & I certainly regret pouring any salt into that old wound.”

Tom Bergeron truly felt bad for hurting Bobby Bones. But was he right? Tell us in the comments if you agree that the radio host was the most shocking winner.