“Dancing With the Stars” is not like any other reality show. It’s real.

That’s the message winner-turned-host Alfonso Ribeiro sends when discussing the competition series.

“We’re creating a safe space — a space where we’re allowing our celebrities to share their true heart,” says Ribeiro, who has been at the helm of the show since 2022 in Season 31. “We all watch reality shows, and we know it’s not reality. We know it’s scripted. We let [“DWTS”] happen live so it can’t be manipulated. Part of the job that I feel is important is I make sure that whenever the celebrities and the pros come over to me after their routine, I am giving them a space to open their heart and to showcase what they’re feeling at that moment.”

Ribeiro first appeared as a contestant on Season 19 in 2014, ultimately taking home the Mirrorball with partner Witney Carson. (She won again this year, with Robert Irwin as her partner.)

After 12 years, Ribeiro has no desire to compete again. “That would mean someone else would have to be the host, and I kind of like the job,” he says. “I enjoy dancing every once in a while, like during the opening numbers or a number here and there with [co-host] Julianne Hough. I like it that way.”

The 34th season, which aired on ABC in the fall, became the most-watched season in several years, something Ribeiro thinks is partially due to social media.

“Years ago, we used to have watercooler moments. Now those watercooler moments happen to be on social media, and so people are talking about the show, connecting with the show. It’s building this groundswell of connection,” he says. “Julianne and I also make sure everyone knows they’re not by themselves, they’re not alone. We’re with them, we’re riding it with them, we’re experiencing the joy with them. We are there for the heartache and the heartbreak. That to me is what it’s supposed to be about.”

But with more conversations online comes more negativity; this season, it was really displayed toward women on the show who were often bullied in the comments sections — and Ribeiro isn’t sure he has the answer to why that is.

“I think that’s more of a societal question than a ‘Dancing With the Stars’ question. Why are we so mean to one another? Why are we so tribal today? The goal on our show is not to be tribal. We are inclusive for everyone,” he says. “I’ve said this to several of our pros and celebrities, ‘You know, it’s just noise. It’s not real unless you read it. Don’t let it have an impact. You don’t have to allow it in.’”

Showrunner Conrad Green led the competition series from its 2004 debut until Season 18 in 2014, when he left. When he returned for Season 31 in 2022, there was a tangible change; Ribeiro says Green was “making sure that he brought the heart back to the show — and boy, is it there.”

Part of that heart was shown as they celebrated the show’s 20th anniversary during Season 34. The November episode saw the return of host Tom Bergeron as a guest judge. The appearance marked his first time back in the ballroom since he was let go in 2022. 

“It was the greatest thing in the world. Tom was the one who pitched me to host ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos,’ so we’ve always had a relationship of respect, love, and honoring one another,” says Ribeiro. “When they decided to bring him back, they asked me if I was OK with that. I was more than OK. This is his home. We spent that week literally almost every moment together, and I made sure that he felt all the love that he deserved coming back into that ballroom.”