Julianne Hough is feeling “nostalgic” forward of her return to Dancing With the Stars as Alfonso Ribeiro’s cohost — and their off-camera connection makes her new position even sweeter.
“The friendships which might be made listed here are lifelong. It feels prefer it’s simply gonna be, like, a peek into our friendship and our lives,” Hough, 35, informed Selection in an interview revealed on Monday, August 21, of her and Ribeiro’s dynamic. “With this season particularly, we’re all so shut.”
She defined: “We’ve been mates for over 10 years. It’s just like the Mates forged. We’re going to be mates for the remainder of our lives.” (Mates ran for 10 seasons on NBC from 1994 to 2004 and the core six actors — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry — have famously remained shut friends.)
“It feels type of nostalgic, like, the band is again collectively,” Hough mentioned of the upcoming season. “It appears like we’re within the older seasons of Dancing with the Stars, with the knowledge and the data of all of the years of expertise, however with the sense of nostalgia and residential from the sooner seasons.”
In March, Hough was introduced as the brand new cohost for season 32 of DWTS, which premieres on ABC this fall. Hough made her debut on the dancing competitors sequence in 2007 as a professional dancer. After successful back-to-back seasons, she exited the present in 2009.
Hough later returned to the ballroom as a decide in 2014 earlier than as soon as once more leaving in 2017. Ribeiro, 51, first crossed paths with Hough in 2014 when he competed on season 19 on which she was a decide. Ribeiro gained the mirrorball that season and in July 2022 he returned to DWTS because the full-time host for season 31 alongside Tyra Banks.
Ribeiro is equally as excited to have Hough again on the present. “She is aware of what it’s prefer to undergo the expertise,” he informed the outlet. “Julianne has the experience as knowledgeable that she will be able to actually dive into the technical facets and the center and the journey, however from a distinct aspect. It’s gonna be very thrilling to do this.”
This season, the twosome will cut up internet hosting duties: Ribeiro would be the emcee on the dance ground whereas Hough talks to the groups within the skybox after every efficiency.
DWTS will really feel much more acquainted to viewers as Julianne and her brother, Derek Hough, will probably be reunited onscreen as soon as once more. Derek, 38, turned a full-time decide on season 29 after successful the mirrorball six occasions as a professional.
Derek initially was a filler for unique decide Len Goodman who was caught in England throughout the 2020 season due to COVID-19 journey restrictions. Derek remained on the present for season 30 alongside Goodman, who retired after season 31 in 2022. (Goodman died in April at age 78.)
Earlier than Julianne was confirmed as the brand new DWTS cohost, she teased a doable return to the ballroom after being each a professional and a decide.
“Look, by no means say by no means, since you by no means know what at some point will probably be from the subsequent,” Julianne solely informed Us Weekly in August 2019 when requested if she’d ever come again to the present. “I owe my profession to that present! I used to be 18 they usually introduced me again in two alternative ways. I used to be a dancer, I used to be a decide and I’m so completely happy for all the pieces that’s occurring there.”
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Dancing With the Stars will air on ABC and Disney+ this fall. Episodes will stream the next day on Hulu.
