Overview
- Derek Hough described Dancing With the Stars as a lifeline that kept him focused during personal lows, including his wife Hayley Erbert’s 2023 emergency surgery and the couple’s later miscarriage disclosure.
- Julianne Hough called the series a place that “raised” her, emphasizing its role as a professional home where she evolved from pro to judge and then cohost.
- The pair recounted a playful early rivalry that began when Julianne joined in spring 2007 and won two titles, with Derek later tallying a record six wins as a pro.
- Derek now serves on the judges’ panel, which he joined in 2020, while Julianne returned to the franchise and is cohosting after earlier stints as a judge.
- ABC and Disney+ will air a Dancing With the Stars 20th Birthday Celebration on Nov. 11 at 8 p.m., with Tom Bergeron appearing as a guest judge.