Alfonso Ribeiro to Co-Host ‘DWTS’ with Tyra Banks

Alfonso Ribeiro and Tyra Banks will be teaming up to co-host “Dancing with the Stars”!

ABC announced the news on Thursday, revealing Alfonso will join the show for Season 31.

Ribeiro is a former “DWTS” champ, taking home the Mirrorball Trophy with pro Witney Carson in 2014.

“I’m super excited,” he told People. “For me to be asked now to co-host with Tyra, and be part of the great crew and dancers and friends… to be able to be onstage with them and to be part of that family again, is quite special for me. I mean, these dancers are friends of mine at this point now. We really do all hang out together, and talk outside of that show.”

He added, “My goal is to bring back a sense of the happy and the fun, and the family atmosphere, that this show has always felt like for me. I want to become friends with all of the contestants this year, and allow myself to kind of be able to really just sit and talk with them. And after their dance, I want to get honest, and true feelings from them and make people laugh and make people smile again. I feel like sometimes it gets a little serious and while it needs to be that also, it also needs to be light and fun and cheery.”

The actor has a long history with Tyra. “We’ve known each other since junior high school!” he told the mag. “We go back a long ways and her first acting job was ‘Fresh Prince.’ I think it’s going to be nice for us to work together again, and to bring the fun out and have some fun on that stage. Smile and laughter, and enjoyment for everyone.”

Banks is excited to work with Alfonso, too. She said in a statement, “Having such a fun-loving, longtime friend as co-host warms my heart. Plus, he’s won the competition before, so he knows exactly what the stars are going through. Bantering back and forth with him live is going to be so much fun!”