This season of "Dancing with the Stars" saw a lot of changes, including a new host and the introduction of the Switch Up, but one thing has remained the same about ABC's reality dancing show: Tom Bergeron. On Monday, the 18-time host shared his thoughts on the latest season.

When it comes to newcomer Erin Andrews replacing Brooke Burke-Charvet, Bergeron says there's now "a different energy," and he misses his former co-host.

"Brooke and I, we're very close," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "We're having dinner later this week, and, you know, I miss having her as part of the team."

That's not to say, however, that Bergeron has not enjoyed the addition of Andrews.

"But I also think that Erin has brought her own effervescent personality," he added. "... she can act like a fan and be almost a giggly girl with the couples ... It gives me more to play with. It's always good to work with people who are comfortable in their own skin but who can throw you curveballs."

Bergeron also revealed his initial concerns about the Switch Up.

"The one that I had real reservations about -- but which I ended up liking, provided it was only the one night -- was the partner Switch Up," Bergeron shared. "I didn't think that was going to work. I didn't think it was advisable. But they decided, 'OK, this is only going be one week. We're not going to drag it through the season; we're not going jeopardize the partnerships that have happened already.' Then I was fine with it ..."

Although the Switch Up was temporary, Bergeron admits that this wasn't obvious for a while.

"Honestly, it was unclear to everyone," he explained "My understanding was that it originated with the network. It wasn't a homegrown thing within the show. The network thought, well, we can promote this, and this'll be interesting, so figure it out."

"Dancing with the Stars" fans will be happy to know that Bergeron is under contract for two more seasons.

"... I'm also a realist about television shows and typical life spans ... but I would love to see 'Dancing With the Stars' go beyond 2015," he said. "Look, whether it's two seasons a year or, in the future, one season a year, or whatever, I certainly think it's a format that has -- no pun intended -- legs. I can see it continuing."

Meanwhile with the elimination of Danica McKellar, who got injured earlier in the year, and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, team Amy Purdy and Derek Hough are still hanging on despite Purdy's more recent injury.

"I feel good," Purdy told People magazine after Monday's show. "You have to have those bad weeks. That's the reality of it. The cameras are always there, and it's not easy. I feel like you kind of have to hit rock bottom sometimes to climb your way back up. I mean not quite rock bottom, but you know."

"Once I knew what [her injury was], I knew she'd bounce back, especially being an athlete and being who she is," Hough added.

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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @SH____4.

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