Julianne Hough Reveals What Happened When She Got ‘Really Drunk’ at Age 14

Heavy/Getty/ABC Julianne Hough in 2024 and 2007.

Julianne Hough revealed that she drank alcohol for the first time when she was just 11 years old and got “really drunk” once at age 14.

The “Dancing With the Stars”  pro dancer-turned-co-host spoke out in an August 2024 interview on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast.

Hough and her siblings were born into a strict Mormon household, but Julianne and her older brother Derek Hough moved to London to study dance at a young age. The siblings stayed with fellow pro dancer Mark Ballas’ family. It was during that time that the future mirrorball trophy winner experimented with alcohol. “My first drink was at 11,” Hough, 36, told Shepard. “It was Baileys Irish Cream.”

She then shared details on the only time she was ever allowed to have a party at home. “There was one time I got really drunk,” she added. “The first time and last time I was ever allowed [to have] people over at my house in London. Mark and Derek helped me out. They were very sweet. I was, like, 14. And then I didn’t drink.”

Julianne Hough’s Ex-Boyfriend Ryan Seacrest Introduced Her to Wine in her 20s

Getty Julianne Hough and and Ryan Seacrest in 2011.

When Hough was in her early 20s, she dated “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest. Despite her early experiences with alcohol, Hough had never really tried wine until she met Seacrest.

During an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in 2022, Hough said her ex was a wine connoisseur. “When I was 21, I actually ended up dating your former host Ryan,” Hough told Clarkson. “So, we dated and he’s very much into wine. He’s got a winery in Napa and in Italy.”

“He introduced me to wine,” she continued. “And what’s so interesting is because I didn’t drink, growing up LDS, it was associated with partying and getting drunk. But this was an education. I’m such a geek, I love to learn things. And so, he taught me … like, how to smell and how to taste and how to swirl the glass. It felt very cool!”

Hough and her close friend Nina Dobrev ultimately launched their wine line, Fresh Vine Wines in 2022, according to Forbes.

Julianne Hough Previously Joked About Drinking

While Hough has never been a big drinker, she did tell Shepard that she drank a little more when she was pursuing a career as a country music singer more than a decade ago. “When I started doing country music, everybody drinks on tour, so then I would drink a little bit,” she said on the podcast.

She once joked about how her personality changes when she’s under the influence. In a 2014 interview on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show, Hough said she has “stages” when she drinks.

“I’m like nice and funny and happy and giddy that’s like first stage one,” she said. “And then second stage is like I just become really bossy and like I make people do things. And then the third stage is like, I don’t know I kind of get like really, I get birthday face. It’s kind of like when you when it’s kind of like a sexy angry face. You’re like really into it, but you kind of look mad at the same time. My third phase is crying, and then fourth stage is ‘it’s time to go home.’”

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