TV veteran Daryl Somers has dropped a bombshell, confirming he has lost his hosting role at Seven’s Dancing with the Stars to another vet – Dr Chris Brown.

Brown, who signed with the Seven Network earlier this year after 15 years at rival Ten, will host Dancing with the Stars when it returns later in the year.

The role had been rumoured for months, and was reportedly due to be confirmed by Seven on Wednesday.

But on Monday morning 72-year-old Somers took to his Hey Hey It’s Saturday Facebook page to jump the gun.

“Seven let me know recently that they have signed Chris Brown to the network full-time, and amongst his commitments he will be hosting DWTS,” he wrote.

“I realise how fortunate I have been to have had such a long and wonderful run with the program. Over a 20-year span, starting in 2004, I have completed 10 series, the last one being a huge ratings success.

“Off the back of that I am happy to hand the Mirror Ball over to Chris and wish him all the very best. He should enjoy working with a great team both in front of and behind the camera.”

Brown quit Network Ten earlier in 2023 to take up a lucrative contract with Seven, reported to be worth more than $1 million a year. The 44-year-old began at Seven in July, after co-hosting his final season of Ten’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! with Julia Morris.

In June, Seven confirmed he would host upcoming renovation show Dream Home. Brown was also said to be in line to be the host of an as-yet-unnamed “spectacular new adventure series, taking in some of the most mind-blowing scenery on the planet, all in pursuit of the ultimate animal encounter”.

Dream Home is being pitched as a rival for Nine renovation behemoth The Block.

It is based on a format that ran for 11 seasons in New Zealand from 1999-2013. It involved having two couples work together to renovate a dilapidated house.

It is expected the Australian version of the show will be updated for a 2024 audience.

Somers said on Monday he would “miss the fun of working with my Gold Logie buddy Sonia, the quick-witted Todd McKenney and Mark Wilson.

“[But] I am now unencumbered to pursue the projects I put on hold during COVID and shall have some exciting news on that score early next year,” he wrote.

Somers finished by thanking Seven executives Andrew Backwell and Angus Ross “for their ongoing support and for commissioning Hey Hey It’s 50 Years! in 2021, and the five primetime specials that followed”.

“Warmest regards,” he signed off his Facebook message.