Rumba Romance Rumors: Julianne and Derek Hough's DWTS Performance Sparks Unexpected Confusion
Julianne Hough and Derek Hough form an energetic brother-sister pair on Dancing With the Stars, yet a particularly passionate performance once led viewers to misunderstand their connection.
“Our initial collaboration for Dancing With the Stars involved participating in the live tour,” Julianne, aged 37, recounted during the “Chicks in the Office” podcast’s September 5th Friday episode. “Carrie Ann [Inaba, a judge on the program] was responsible for choreographing the entire routine, and she arranged for us to perform a rumba as a pair.”
The rumba, a Latin dance style, is widely known as “the dance of love.”
“Our names appeared in the program as ‘Derek and Julianne Hough,’ which led everyone to assume we were a married couple performing this rumba,” she remembered. “Upon discovering we were siblings, I recall a specific location… where we distinctly heard, ‘That’s simply not right!’”
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Julianne and Derek, 40 years old, became part of DWTS in 2007, ultimately securing a collective eight mirrorball trophies. Julianne currently shares hosting duties for DWTS with Alfonso Ribeiro, while Derek serves as a judge alongside Inaba, 57, and Bruno Tonioli.
“It’s truly remarkable that we’re able to pursue comparable endeavors in our individual styles,” she remarked on Friday. “While we are undeniably distinct, we are inherently similar, sharing a great deal of common energy, yet possessing significant differences.”
Derek, presently married to his pregnant wife Hayley Erbert, and Julianne have also collaborated on several less intimate dance routines on DWTS. The Hough brother and sister recently hinted to Us Weekly about a potential joint performance in the upcoming 34th season this fall.
“We absolutely should. The opportunity for us to unite and create something enjoyable is always present, particularly on Dancing With the Stars and also on Ovation,” Derek shared exclusively with Us Weekly last month, referencing the dance competition that the siblings established together.
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ABC revealed the celebrity-filled cast for DWTS season 34 earlier in the week, featuring names such as Alix Earle, Corey Feldman, Jordan Chiles, Danielle Fishel, Andy Richter, Jen Affleck, among others.
“I believe there's considerable energy. There's significant momentum surrounding Dancing With the Stars,” Derek hinted to Us in August. “I anticipate that surge will extend into this season, and it already feels grander than ever before we've even commenced. I predict it will be a substantial season.”
Julianne, for her part, informed Us that the ballroom contest “has never seemed more pertinent and culturally significant” than it does at this moment.
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“It’s quite extraordinary,” she stated. “However, I always assert — this is my spiritual perspective — I’m like, ‘It’s family. It’s interconnected. It’s a transformative program disguised with rhinestones, fringe, and dance.’ It’s genuinely about observing individuals embark on a personal evolution, and we get to participate in that journey alongside them.”
Dancing With the Stars will debut on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET, with subsequent episodes available for streaming the following day on Hulu.
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