Tom Bergeron Discusses Cast And Show Changes On 'DWTS' Season 18

Tom Bergeron is speaking out about the cast and show changes to Dancing With The Stars' upcoming 18th season.

With new co-host Erin Andrews and a twist in the show's format, things are much different this time around, but Bergeron appears to be welcoming the change.

"[Brooke] and Erin have exchanged calls and voicemail messages, and I said, there's a lot of maturity going on here because everybody's being wonderful in the face of some difficult times," Bergeron explained to E! News on March 12.

When it was announced that Brooke Burke had been let go from her duties, many were left in shock -- including Burke, who referred to her exit as a "shocking pre-season elimination."

Then, her exit was explained when it was reported that producers had brought Andrews aboard in an effort to gain a younger audience. With her past sports reporting, Andrews has a fan base which consists of mainly men, so she fit the bill perfectly. She even had a past hosting experience with Bergeron, which he spoke of in his E! interview.

"Erin and I first worked together when we did the Scripps Spelling Bee for ABC back a few years ago," Bergeron said. "She's very energetic and smart and funny, and I think she's going to bring all of that to the show."

The other major change on the show is the "Switch Up" twist, which will give viewers the chance to change the dancer/star pairings. The "Switch Up" was created in an effort at adding something new for fans, but pro Val Chmerkovskiy, for one, isn't on board, calling the idea "horrible."

Bergeron also appears to have his doubts about the new twist.

"I'm not sure yet how it's going to play out. I don't know if it's just for a week or whatever they do it they're going to do it for the balance of the season, so I'm kind of as curious as you and the dancers are, as to how this is going to play," he said. "It's either going to be very intriguing and exciting or a trainwreck."

Dancing With The Stars season 18 premieres on March 17 on ABC.