Derek Hough weighs in on potential of a 'Dancing with the Stars' all-winners season

Hough also revealed which of his winning partners he'd like to see return.

August 15, 2023, 1:01 PM

Derek Hough has seen it all on "Dancing with the Stars" -- except for an all-winners season.

Hough has gone from a pro, who competed on 17 seasons and won six times, to a judge for the past three seasons -- and he's back for the reality competition series' upcoming 32nd season, airing this fall on ABC and Disney+.

As for his thoughts on a season full of past Mirrorball champs, Hough called it a "fantastic" way to shake things up in an interview with Variety, adding, "I think that it'd be a really, really competitive season."

He listed his former partners, like Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin and former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, as prime candidates he'd like to see return for this format.

Something more likely to happen -- and which already occurred during "DWTS" season 15 -- is an all-star season, with a cast made up of previous non-winners who really left a mark and want another shot at a Mirrorball trophy.

Hough competed with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson that season, but the pair ultimately lost to Bachelor Nation's Melissa Rycroft.

"That was honestly one of my favorite seasons, and I was so devastated," he reflected, suggesting his former partner Paralympian snowboarder Amy Purdy as an obvious all-star contender.

PHOTO: Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert attend the Los Angeles Premiere of LucasFilms' "Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny" June 14, 2023, in Hollywood, Calif.
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert attend the Los Angeles Premiere of LucasFilms' "Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny" June 14, 2023, in Hollywood, Calif.
Emma Mcintyre/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

When he's not thinking about the future of "Dancing with the Stars" -- saying "never say never" on the chances of him ever being a pro again -- Hough is busy planning his upcoming nuptials to fiancee Hayley Erbert. The couple announced their engagement in June 2022.

"The wedding -- that's a whole production in and of itself," he laughed. "It feels like we're planning two tours, two shows!"

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