After appearing in a Harry Potter movie and performing on Broadway, Derek Hough made his way to Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) and never looked back. Since then, Hough’s popularity has exploded, taking the dance world by storm alongside his sister, Julianne Hough.
And after serving as a dance pro on the show for several seasons (and winning six Mirrorball trophies in the process), Hough has also gone on to serve as one of the show’s judges. Much to fans’ delight, he is also back for season 32, judging contestants alongside OG judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
Derek Hough Joined DWTS After Appearing As A Guest Instructor
In the early 2000s, Hough was gradually making his up in the dance industry. Having been dancing alongside Julianne since they were little, Hough had already gone on to win WDSF (World DanceSport Federation) World Latin Championship. And then, DWTS happened.
While Hough only briefly appeared during the show’s fourth season in 2007, he went signed on as one of DWTS’ dance pros for its fifth season. Even as early as the year prior, however, it seems Hough was already on the show’s radar after he submitted a memorable audition tape.
“Being on Dancing With the Stars would be great...I have so many great ideas,” Hough said in his video submission. “I’m dynamic, charismatic, can bring many different styles and influences on the dance floor. I love entertaining. I love entertaining people.”
And while Hough has already collected several trophies since joining the show, it was quite a rough start for him initially. For starters, he famously dropped his partner, actress Jennie Garth, during his first season on the show.
“In my very first season, my second dance, this is when I’m like, ‘This is my chance. I’m going to show what I got. This is my first time on TV doing this.’ And I dropped my partner, Jennie Garth, on live television,” Hough recalled.
“Which by the way, dropping your partner and falling on live television … But it was, like, the worst thing, but the good thing about that is I got that out of the way real quick. That’s the worst thing that could possibly happen, so it’s only uphill from here.”
At the same time, Hough also struggled to find his footing as a dance teacher and choreographer at first. “I definitely look back at my approach to the show. In my earlier seasons, I was nervous and I was uncertain. I was kind of faking it, to be honest with you,” he told Jana Kramer on her Whine Down podcast.
“I wasn’t really a teacher or choreographer. People used to say, ‘Oh, you’re a good choreographer.’ I’m like, I never really looked at myself in that way. That made me fearful and afraid.”
“I look back at some of my earlier seasons, thinking, ‘Man, I wish I knew then what I know now.’ And how I shifted my approach to teaching and coaching, and I probably could have gotten more out of [my partners] with a better teaching approach, which I eventually learned and created,” Hough continued.
“I wish I was better earlier on and I could have given them a better and chance and experience.”
By season 7, however, it looked like Hough finally got the hang of things as he started winning. Throughout his time on the show, he had several memorable celebrity partners, including Nicole Scherzinger, Bindi Irwin, Amy Purdy, and Kellie Pickler.
He Has Since Gone From A DWTS Pro To A Judge
It almost seems that Hough went from dance pro to judge on DWTS by chance. Back when travel restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, DWTS’ longtime judge Len Goodman announced that he could no longer continue with the show.
Following his exit, it was announced that Hough was returning (he had been away from the show for several seasons by then) to take his place.
“This show has been and will always be incredibly special to me,” Hough said in a statement. “Coming back feels like coming home and I couldn’t be more excited to be back in the ballroom.” So far, the dance pro has already served as a judge for three seasons.
