Emotional Tom Bergeron Pays Tribute to Late Father on DANCING WITH THE STARS

During last night's 'Switch Up' episode of ABC's DANCING WITH THE STARS, host Tom Bergeron announced that his father, Raymond Bergeron, had passed away on Monday at the age of 81.

The Emmy-winning host was absent from last week's episode of the dance competition to be by his ailing father's bedside. DWTS champ Alfonso Ribeiro took Bergeron's place alongside co-host Erin Andrews.

On last night's live broadcast, an emotional Bergeron dedicated the episode to his dad, sharing. "My dad loved this show. Never missed an episode. And I'd like to think somewhere that he didn't miss this one."

Emmy Award winner Tom Bergeron serves as host of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars". His first book, I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can! Zen and THE ART OF Staying Sane in Hollywood, was published to rave reviews.

Bergeron began his broadcasting career in 1972 in his hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts. He spent over a decade with WBZ-TV in Boston, hosting a number of popular shows. In 1994 he became host of "Breakfast Time on FX," which morphed into "Fox After Breakfast" when it moved to the FOX network. He became a fill-in anchor on "Good Morning America" in 1997 before he segued to "Hollywood Squares" in 1998. While hosting "Hollywood Squares," Bergeron kept busy as a fill-in anchor on CBS' "The Early Show" and hosted "Supper Club" for Planet Green.

In addition to hosting "America's Funniest Home Videos," now in its 24th season, and ABC's hit "Dancing with the Stars," his hosting credits include PBS' "A Capitol Fourth," "The 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards," the "Miss America Pageant," "The 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards" and the "Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation's 28th College Television Awards Gala," among other specials.

Photo courtesy of ABC

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