'Dancing with the Stars' host Tom Bergeron says he opposed casting Sean Spicer

"Dancing with the Stars" is facing backlash from its own host after ABC's competition series announced Wednesday the upcoming Season 28 cast would include former Trump aide Sean Spicer.

Tom Bergeron would like fans to know he opposed that casting decision.

"A few months ago, during a lunch with 'DWTS' new Executive Producer (Andrew Llinares), I offered suggestions for Season 28. Chief among them was my hope that 'DWTS,' in its return following an unprecedented year-long hiatus, would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations," Bergeron wrote in a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday.

"I left that lunch convinced we were in agreement," he continued. "Subsequently (and rather obviously), a decision was made to, as we often say in Hollywood, 'go in a different direction.'"

Spicer, 47, who reportedly turned down a "DWTS" offer shortly after leaving the White House in 2017, after a brief stint as President Trump's press secretary and communications director, is a lightning rod for criticism – and attention – among those who object to how he handled his role.

Original story: Trump's former aide joins 'Dancing with the Stars;' Here are all the other celebs competing

Bergeron continued: "It is the prerogative of the producers, in partnership with the network, to make whatever decisions they feel are the best long term interests of the franchise. We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it's their call. I'll leave it to them to answer any further questions about those decisions."

Llinares demurred when asked about concerns that Spicer's presence would turn off some viewers,. He tells USA TODAY he's not courting controversy, but acknowledges Spicer's notoriety as a "talked-about name."

"It's really fun for us to have people from all different walks of life, representing all different parts of this great country," he said.

Now, Bergeron says he's staying focused on his job: entertaining "DWTS" fans.

"For me, as host, I always gaze into the camera's lens and imagine you on the other side, looking for a two hour escape from whatever life hassles you've been wrestling with," he wrote. That's a connection, and a responsibility, which I take very seriously, even if I occasionally season it with dad jokes."

Contributing: Bill Keveney

Previously: 'Bachelorette' star Hannah Brown dances around 'DWTS' rumors

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'DWTS': Tom Bergeron says he opposed casting Trump aide Sean Spicer