Alfonso Ribeiro took home the Mirrorball Trophy in 2014
Alfonso Ribeiro is heading back to the ballroom — this time as a cohost!
On Thursday, ABC announced that the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum, 50, will be cohosting the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars alongside current host Tyra Banks.
“I’m super excited,” Ribeiro, who took home the Mirrorball Trophy in 2014 with pro dancer Witney Carson, told PEOPLE ahead of the announcement. “For me to be asked now to co-host with Tyra, and be part of the great crew and dancers and friends … to be able to be on stage with them and to be part of that family again, is quite special for me. I mean, these dancers are friends of mine at this point now. We really do all hang out together, and talk outside of that show.”
“My goal is to bring back a sense of the happy and the fun, and the family atmosphere, that this show has always felt like for me,” he added. “I want to become friends with all of the contestants this year, and allow myself to kind of be able to really just sit and talk with them. And after their dance, I want to get honest, and true feelings from them and make people laugh and make people smile again. I feel like sometimes it gets a little serious and while it needs to be that also, it also needs to be light and fun and cheery.”
For Ribeiro, the news is extra special since he’ll be reuniting with Banks, 48, who briefly starred alongside him in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
“We’ve known each other since junior high school!” he said of his friendship with Banks. “We go back a long ways and her first acting job was Fresh Prince. I think it’s going to be nice for us to work together again, and to bring the fun out and have some fun on that stage. Smile and laughter, and enjoyment for everyone.”
The host of America’s Funniest Home Videos – a role he stepped into after the departure of former DWTS co-host Tom Bergeron – was previously known for dancing “The Carlton” on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The dance was later incorporated into a routine that ultimately won him the Mirrorball on season 19.
While Ribeiro says there’s a “chance” he may bust out a move or two this upcoming season, for now, he’s just looking forward to his next role as co-host.
“What I always loved about this show was that it’s entertainment,” he said. “We just need to entertain people week-to-week, and get people to really fall in love with these dancers, and the professionals, and the celebrity, the contestants. Hopefully my opportunity will be to give them their chance to shine, to let America see who they are, what they’re great at, their personality. Hopefully the dances match that.”
Season 31 of Dancing with the Stars is expected to air on Disney+ this fall. The series has already been renewed for season 32.
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