It looks like everything’s coming up Carlton: Alfonso Ribeiro is taking over for Tom Bergeron as the new host of America’s Funniest Home Videos. The announcement came during the season finale of Dancing With The Stars, also hosted by Bergeron; Bergeron is retiring after 14 years of hosting America’s Funniest Home Videos, but will continue emceeing on Dancing With The Stars. The strange confluence of current, past, and future hosts proves that while on Game Of Thrones “you win, or you die,” on ABC’s Game Of Shows “you win, and you enter a mirrored labyrinth of steady work.”
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about his new job, Ribeiro confirmed that his popularity on the dancing competition program led directly to his new gig at America’s Funniest Home Videos. “Dancing With The Stars ended, there were several producers that all said to me that they felt that [America’s Funniest Home Videos] would be an absolute great gig for me.” Ribeiro said, who also quoted Bergeron’s response as, “Oh my God, that is just a beautiful idea. I’m on board.” It’s not clear if Bergeron was excited about Ribeiro being the perfect fit for the program, or was celebrating the shattering of America’s Funniest Home Videos’ golden manacles.
Arguably, this turn of events can be tied back to Ribeiro’s best known role: Carlton Banks, the uptight super-ego to Will Smith’s id on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. On his way to winning last season’s Dancing With The Stars, Ribeiro also briefly won the internet when he and his dance partner queued up Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual,” and trotted out “The Carlton Dance.” If nothing else, Ribeiro’s new hosting duties should lead to an 18.3 percent increase in the rate of submitted Carlton Dance videos, and making it 42.6 percent more likely for studio audience members to perform their own version during show tapings.