Carrie Ann Inaba Shares Heartfelt Welcome to New DWTS Cast Member

Getty/Heavy Carrie Ann Inaba

“Dancing With the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba shared a heartfelt welcome to Julianne Hough, the newest permanent member of the ballroom dance competition show.

Inaba took some time off from her break from social media to welcome Hough on Instagram on March 22, 2023.

“I interrupt my social media break with this: I’m elated that @juleshough will be back in the ballroom,” Inaba wrote. “She will have done it all, she’s danced, she’s judged, she’s won, and now she’s co-hosting with @therealalfonsoribeiro! I can only say, that it’s a natural fit and it’s just testimony to the family spirit at @dancingwiththestars.”

She added, “She may already have a real brother on the panel, but she feels like a sister to me as well. Welcome back Julianne! Looking forward to a fantastic season with you! Love you my little sister!”

Read on to learn more about Hough’s joining the show.

Hough Is Excited to be Judging the Show

Julianne Hough is set to join “Dancing With the Stars” as a co-host after Tyra Banks revealed she will no longer be on the show, according to the March 20, 2023, report by Variety.

“It is such an honor to be rejoining ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as co-host. The show holds such a special place in my heart from the many years and different roles I have had the privilege of being a part of,” Julianne told Variety. “The incredible team that brings the ballroom to life every night has been my family for the past 17 years. I am so excited to reunite with Alfonso, Carrie Ann, Bruno, Derek, the unbelievably talented pros, and the amazing cast on the dance floor.”

Hough’s will be taking over Alfonso Ribeiro’s duties in the skybox, as Ribeiro takes over Banks’s former role as the emcee of the series.

Hough’s extensive experience in ballroom dance will allow her to have meaningful questions for professional dancers and celebrities after their performances in the ballroom each night.

This move puts Mirrorball champions in both positions of hosting and on the judge’s table.

Carrie Ann Inaba Is One of 3 Returning Judges

Variety reports that the “Dancing With the Stars” judging panel will be made up of Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli. Len Goodman, who was a judge on the show for nearly 30 seasons, announced his retirement at the end of season 31.

Hough was the newest addition to the judging panel. The six-time Mirrorball champion joined the judging panel ahead of season 29 when Len Goodman took a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He stayed on as the panel grew to three judges until Goodman announced his retirement. Tonioli and Inaba have been on the judging panel since the first season, though they’ve been joined by guest judges every now and then.

There have been no announcements regarding which professional dancers will be returning for the upcoming season, and there have been no celebrity cast announcements at the time of writing, either. Those will likely come much closer to the show’s premiere date, which is expected to take place in September 2023.

“Dancing With the Stars” will return in the fall of 2023 on Disney+.