“Dancing with the Stars” Judge Derek Hough Signs Overall Deal with ABC

Today, ABC Entertainment announced an overall deal with Emmy Award winner, six-time Mirrorball champion dancer and Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough. In this role, Hough will host and develop specials and entertainment programming for the network.

Via ABC

Via ABC

  • Last week, Hough joined Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli as a regular judge on Dancing with the Stars.
  • Hough’s celebrity partners on Dancing with the Stars include:
    • Brooke Burke
    • Jennie Garth
    • Ricki Lake
    • Nicole Scherzinger
    • Jennifer Grey
    • Kellie Pickler
    • Amber Riley
    • Amy Purdy
    • Bindi Irwin
  • Hough is best known for his innovation and daring choreography on the show.
  • To date, Hough is the winningest professional dancer in the franchise’s history with a total of six wins.
  • A two-time Emmy Award winner and nine-time Emmy nominee, Hough has also appeared in film, television and stage projects as an actor.
  • He appeared in this year’s “The Disney Family Singalong” specials, and made his feature film debut for director Duane Adler and producer Robert Cort in the 2013 feature film Make Your Move.
  • He also had a recurring role on the ABC series Nashville.
  • His stage performances include Radio City Music Hall’s Spring Spectacular, co-starring alongside Tony Award-winning Laura Benanti, as well as the critically acclaimed production of Footloose, where he starred as the male lead in London’s West End.
  • His memoir, Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion, hit stands in August 2014 and was rapidly named to the prestigious New York Times Best Seller list during two nonconsecutive time periods.
  • In 2014, Hough and his sister Julianne teamed for a live stage dance concert “MOVE Live on Tour,” performing in 50 cities around the country; and a year later, they toured again selling out scores of venues on their multicity outing.
  • In 2017, they again performed a sold-out tour of 48 cities around the United States with their show “Move – Beyond – Live on Tour.”
  • In 2019, Hough completed his first solo national tour, “Derek Hough Live: The Tour,” which visited nearly 60 cities around the country.
  • Next year, fans around the world will head to Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, to catch Hough in “Derek Hough: No Limit.”
  • This highly anticipated residency for Caesars Entertainment at the Flamingo Las Vegas debuts in 2021.

What they’re saying:

  • Derek Hough: “Coming home to ABC and being given the opportunity to develop projects for them that are as much on brand for them as they are for me makes this even that more exciting for me.”
  • Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment: “Derek is a creative force not just in the ballroom but also every room he enters. He has been part of our ABC family for many years; the energy and dedication he brings to every project is palpable. We value his partnership immensely and look forward to the exciting and imaginative projects to come.”