Brooke Burke-Charvet - Co-host

[CharmOffensive]

Honestly that was my original opinion on the matter, but I'm finding Brooke to be so dull that it is more distracting than someone with a lively wit.

Comedy makes or breaks the hostess. Harris wasn't funny. Burke isn't funny, either. Bergeron would be useless if he wasn't funny.

I'd like to see Niecy Nash audition for Burke's job. Tom likes her, too. Don't know if she'd do well, but you've got to get a woman in there with a sense of humor.

[TV_Junkie]

I don't like Brooke as the co-host. She causes many uncomfortable moments. She is a total flat line, has no sense of humor & yanks the mic away from her face before she finishes her sentence. That drives me nuts.
Samantha Harris was better than Brooke imo.

I think that a great co-host would be Julie Chen. Too bad she'll never happen.

[karalott]

Brooke has no charisma and interviewing skills. She's better off as a spokesmodel on The Price is Right. I know they don't want to overshadow Tom, but they need someone that can better match him. You can hear a pin drop in the celeb-quarium, even when Brooke is talking.

[Jexter]

I take the contrary position. One comedian, i.e Tom, is enough. It would be overkill - and not appropriate to the content of the show - to have 2 comedians. Plus, no one can do humor with the same ease and class as Tom.

They need a contrasting host and I think Brook does a decent job. It's her first season, and I think she'll get better. I'd like to see her tone down the hair and dress most times, and yes, she could inject a little more personality, but I think her and Tom are a good fit - given the nature of the show.

[ElizabethG]

I think Brooke's dress last night was totally distracting...kept waiting to see if it was gonna pop on off and leave the girls sitting up there all perked up and nowhere to go.

As for her lack of charisma and interviewing skills, it does distract from the interviews and the overall flow of the show. She just seems too awkward and wooden. I would prefer they used someone who hasn't been a contestant but knows how to work a microphone, an audience and has great interviewing skills. Somebody noticeable but not distracting. Somebody like a Mary Hart from ET or a Tina Fey type....

[RickiRick]

I'd like to see a co-host that is actually experienced in the professional ballroom dance circuit, someone that can ask some meaningful questions about what the couple just did. They spend all that time working on various moves that we don't fully appreciate, so this would give them the opportunity to tell us about it. This would make it seem more like a dancing competition and less like an Oprah interview.

[bloodelfpriest]

I hope they get rid of her and find a new co-host next season. She's bland and boring

[hikari]

I take the contrary position. One comedian, i.e Tom, is enough. It would be overkill - and not appropriate to the content of the show - to have 2 comedians. Plus, no one can do humor with the same ease and class as Tom.

They need a contrasting host and I think Brook does a decent job. It's her first season, and I think she'll get better. I'd like to see her tone down the hair and dress most times, and yes, she could inject a little more personality, but I think her and Tom are a good fit - given the nature of the show.

I totally concur. I only started watching with this group, so I have no prior knowledge of Brooke other than knowing she won her season with Derek. Agreed that two Tom Bergerons would be one too many. I like Tom and I think he is a perfect fit for the show. Humorous when called for, always on the side of our dancers against the meanie judges, which makes me warm to him more than any of the scripted patter--he views himself as the dancers' advocate and zings back impromptu quips at the judges when they are out of hand. The mark of a seasoned professional.

Now, Brooke is not a seasoned professional, and should not be held to Tom's standard . . .or Niecy's, who is a seasoned host herself. Brooke's role is to be a lovely, calmer counterpoint to Tom and look good in a tight dress. She fulfills that role just fine as far as I'm concerned, though I have thoroughly hated a few of her outfits. The kid's new on the job--give her a chance! It's a huge transition to go from being the dancer celebrity being interviewed to the one conducting the interviews. It does require an easiness and flow which she hasn't developed yet, but I think she was chosen precisely because she knows how the dancers are feeling. There is the additional pressure of live television, which is rough on experienced broadcasters, never mind a newbie. Sometimes her segments are rushed and a little awkward, but that can be chalked up to the unpredictability of the medium. The viewing audience doesn't realize how many balls have to be juggled in the air for this seemingly 'easy' gig. Tom makes it look easy 'cause he's had a lot more practice. For the record, Tom grates on me in his other gig, "America's Funniest Home Videos" or whichever one of those he does. Tom seems to accept and welcome Brooke--I feel that she deserves another go-round before we start getting all judgemental.

[hikari]

I'd like to see a co-host that is actually experienced in the professional ballroom dance circuit, someone that can ask some meaningful questions about what the couple just did. They spend all that time working on various moves that we don't fully appreciate, so this would give them the opportunity to tell us about it. This would make it seem more like a dancing competition and less like an Oprah interview.

I defended Brooke in my last comment, but I agree too that taking another tack with the Celebruquarium interviews would be valuable. I think Brooke is doing what they require, but it's getting a little tedious listening to her ask "You scored 29 points--how does that feel?" 100 times per show.

How about this--some of the professionals who are not engaged with a partner could man the Celebruquarium? They could take turns--the eliminated pros or some of the faces that we haven't seen this season? They would certainly be able to ask more intelligent questions and could engage their fellow pros about the routines and the challenges of choreographing to their celeb's skill level. This would give our unemployed pros something to do and would raise the educational element of dance several notches.

[Critical]

How about this--some of the professionals who are not engaged with a partner could man the Celebruquarium? They could take turns--the eliminated pros or some of the faces that we haven't seen this season? They would certainly be able to ask more intelligent questions and could engage their fellow pros about the routines and the challenges of choreographing to their celeb's skill level. This would give our unemployed pros something to do and would raise the educational element of dance several notches.

I like that idea a lot! Anything has got to be better than what they have been doing. Brooke was just painful this season and she never got any better. I thought she did okay on Rock Star, so there was really no reason to think she'd be so awful on DWTS.

I'd be happy if they hired Drew Lachey. I thought he did a nice job when Samantha was on maternity leave. He did look like he was standing in a ditch next to Tom, but I thought his interviews were better and he was very natural on camera.