Samantha Harris Leaving Dancing with the Stars After 8 Seasons

Dancing with the Stars co-host Samantha Harris is leaving the hit ABC reality series after eight seasons. Harris has decided not to return to DWTS for the show’s tenth season, but calls her time on the show a “dream job.”

Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris (Photo: ABC)
Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris (Photo: ABC)

“I loved every single second of it and I’ve made lifelong friends at the show,” Samantha Harris said of her time on Dancing with the Stars. Harris, who co-hosts the show with Tom Bergeron, is reportedly leaving the show to focus on other aspects of her career, including her correspondent gig on The Insider.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Samantha since she joined the DWTS team in Season 2,” executive producer Conrad Green told Access Hollywood. “She will be much missed, but always part of the DWTS family.”

Host Tom Bergeron said he would love to see Samantha Harris return to the show in a different capacity. “I’m hoping this frees her up for us to have her as a contestant,” he told People.

As for who will replace Harris, speculation is already running rampant. Could this possibly be the perfect time for Paula Abdul to finally snag that offer from ABC to sign on to DWTS? Well, while we think it would be a blast to see her as a judge on DWTS, we’re thinking her somewhat erratic and overly emotional behavior on American Idol might not be the best resume for a co-hosting gig.

The new season of Dancing with the Stars debuts March 22 on ABC.

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Lil Kim Has A Nip-Slip On DWTS

Uh, oh, Dancing With The Stars contestant and music maker Lil’ Kim had a wardrobe malfunction last night during the performances! Now, Lil’ Kim has never been afraid to basically be naked in public, but since DWTS is a family show…the accidental slip was a bit over the top.

Her top seemed to have a mind of it’s own at the end of a jive with partner Derek Hough last night. Host Tom Bergeron provided cover while the rapper adjusted as she and Hough approached the judges table.

Lil’ Kim told KABC-TV after the show: “I don’t know why this happens a lot of the time, but … the girls were tryin’ to come out.”

The nearly X-rated moment was edited out by the time the show was rebroadcast on the West Coast, where no one would have really cared. The oops moment didn’t seem to bother the judges: Lil’ Kim and Hough had the night’s best score: 28 out of a possible 30 for their spirited dance. Hopefully “the girls” will be a little less spirited next week!