Getty Derek Hough poses with the award for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming for "Dancing With The Stars" at the Creative Arts Emmys
“Dancing With the Stars” pro-turned-judge Derek Hough made a hilarious comment about his past partners in an interview during season 30, comparing their relationships to having been “married and divorced 17 times.” Read on to find out which past partners really stood out to him and who his dream celebrity partner is.
Hough Called His Past Partners His Ex-Wives
In an interview with Distractify, the professional dancer was asked about his favorite partners in all of his years on “Dancing With the Stars” and he said it’s so hard to choose between all of “wives.”
“Out of my 17 wives and divorcees? That’s what it feels like — like I’ve been married and divorced 17 times,” said Hough with a laugh. The pro dancer competed on 17 seasons of the show between season five and season 23. He won the Mirrorball Trophy a record six times — with Brooke Burke, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey, Kellie Pickler, Amber Riley, and Bindi Irwin. He also finished in second place twice, with Shawn Johnson and Amy Purdy.
So in all seriousness, Hough told Distractify that each of his partners “were great in their own way.”
“No, you know, they all were great in their own way. I think Kellie Pickler was really special. Amy Purdy, Bindi Irwin, Shawn Johnson … I mean, there’s so many different ones for different reasons. To be honest, I could go on and on,” said Hough.
Indeed, Hough has previously said that one of his most memorable moments was the freestyle he did with Pickler on season 16. He told US Weekly that Pickler was an “awesome” partner because she had no dance training and turned into such a beautiful dancer. He also name-dropped Irwin and Purdy as pleasant surprises as well.
Who Is His Dream Celebrity Partner?
Distractify also asked who Hough’s dream partner would be on the show and he said actress Mia Wasikowska.
“[Mia Wasikowska is] a great actress. But she actually has a dance background. And I think it would be awesome,” said Derek.
Wasikowska is an Australian actress best known for playing Alice Kingsleigh in Tim Burton’s films “Alice in Wonderland” and “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” However, fans might not know that she once dreamed of becoming a professional ballerina until an ankle injury at age 14 curtailed that path because once she stopped the intense practice regimen, she decided not to go back.
“I tricked myself into leaving ballet,” Wasikowska told The Independent. “I had a substantial enough injury to get some time off – I’d got used to practicing 35 hours a week, leaving school at 1 pm and dancing till nine every day – and I just never went back.”
But anyway, in addition to Wasikowska, Hough has also said that one global superstar would get him back in the ballroom — Celine Dion. On an episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” he shared a funny story of the first time he met the singer (which was when she performed on “Dancing With the Stars”) and how he would love to dance with her on the show.
But we don’t foresee Hough getting back into the ballroom as a pro partner anytime soon. He has said that he would love to act as more of a mentor for the contestants and their partners, telling Parade, “I would love to just have an hour with each one of the celebrities. I would love that because I have so much more to share and to give and I feel like I could add some value to their experience in the process.”
“Dancing With the Stars” has not yet been renewed for season 31. If it is renewed, it will return in September 2022.
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