Why Did Julianne Hough Leave ‘Dancing With the Stars’? Will She Ever Return?

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Professional dancer Julianne Hough left Dancing With the Stars in 2017, leaving fans wondering whether she would ever return to the show or not. Hough’s brother, Derek Hough sat on the judging panel in 2020 and will possibly return in 2021. So, will Julianne Hough ever return to the show?

Hough’s decision to leave the show in 2017 was due to other projects, according to ET Online. She wanted to focus on her acting career rather than Dancing With the Stars, the site reported at the time.

The decision to leave didn’t have anything to do with her then-husband Brooks Laich, a source told the outlet.

“It has nothing to do with her husband’s schedule,” the source said. “She would never sacrifice her career for her husband.”

Julianne Hough Could Return to ‘Dancing With the Stars’

There are a number of ways that Julianne Hough could return to Dancing With the Stars, whether she would be a pro on the show, once again sit on the judging panel, or even eventually host the show.

“DWTS is a consistent gig with a steady paycheck. Often these dancers try to move on to what they hope are greener pastures only to realize that’s not the case,” the source told ET Online at the time. “For Julianne, she is still on very good terms with everyone over at DWTS and no bridges were burned. Perhaps she’ll be back in the future.”

She hasn’t returned since then, but a return is certainly not ruled out as the show goes through changes ahead of season 30.

Fans Want Julianne Hough Back on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Fans have mixed views on who they would like to sit on the judging panel for season 30, especially when it comes to Julianne Hough’s brother.

In a recent Facebook poll, fans responded that they would overwhelmingly want Derek Hough to return as a judge. Many people who voted in the poll responded in the comments to say that they would love to see Hough on the show as either a judge or as a dancer once again.

Other fans think that Goodman is a better judge than Hough and would like for him to return instead.

One person tweeted, “Derek Hough is a horrible addition to Dancing With the Stars. Bring back Len Goodman.”

One fan tweeted that they’d like Hough to replace Carrie Ann Inaba, writing, “Kick Carrie Anne off the judges panel and add Julianne Hough so we can have two gorgeous and fair judges.”

Other fans think she would be a fun addition as a host of the show amid backlash surrounding new host Tyra Banks’s performance on the show.

Anything is possible when it comes to the Dancing With the Stars season 30 cast, as the show has not yet been officially renewed and pro dancers have said they don’t expect to know if they’ll be back for a new season until sometime in August 2021.

Dancing With the Stars will likely return for season 30 in 2021.

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