Derek Hough will return to ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as it moves to Disney+
Change is afoot at “Dancing with the Stars,” which is headed to Disney+, but at least one thing will remain the same: Derek Hough will return as a judge.
The former pro confirmed to “Entertainment Tonight” at Wednesday’s “Top Gun: Maverick” premiere that he will be back at the judges’ table when the 31st season launches on Disney+ in the fall. While he doesn’t know “exactly” who else is returning, he added, “I’m sure a lot of familiar faces will be there, of course.”
Hough, who won a record six Mirrorball trophies before becoming a judge on Season 29, is the first person confirmed for Season 31. In April, ABC announced that “Dancing” was renewed for two seasons and will relocate to Disney+ after 16 years and 30 seasons on the network, but it made no mention of whether any of the judges — Hough, Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli — or host Tyra Banks were returning (the pros and celebrity cast are typically announced late summer).
The news of the move shocked fans and Hough, who quickly became psyched about the unprecedented switch. “At first, I was like, ‘Wha? What does that mean?!’ But within 10 seconds, I was very, very excited about it. I think that’s where a lot of things are moving toward,” he said. “‘Dancing with the Stars’ has always been a trailblazer, they’ve always been the first to do things. So to move into this area is very bold, very brave, and I’m very excited about it, to be a part of that new phase in television!”
“Dancing” will be the first live series to air on Disney+, and a streaming home means that the show won’t be affected by the constraints of broadcast television, like commercial breaks. “Its more opportunity for more performances, more dances, more creativity… so I’m excited about that too,” Hough said.
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