Derek Hough joins 'Dancing with the Stars' judges' table for Season 29
NEW YORK -- He's back in the ballroom! Derek Hough, an Emmy Award winner and six-time Mirrorball champion, officially joining "Dancing with the Stars," now as a judge!
Watch the announcement on GMA
Hough joins Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli at the judges' table in the ballroom alongside new host Tyra Banks.
Meanwhile, in light of the coronavirus, Len Goodman will be unable to judge this season live in the ballroom. Fear not fans! Goodman will still be a part of the show, but in a different capacity sharing his ballroom expertise from the UK.
"This show has been and will always be incredibly special to me," Hough said. "Coming back feels like coming home and I couldn't be more excited to be back in the ballroom."
Season 29 features a powerhouse lineup of celebrities including Carole Baskin, Nelly, AJ McLean, Monica Aldama, Jesse Metcalfe, Anne Heche, Johnny Weir, Vernon Davis, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Justina Machado, Charles Oakley, Jeannie Mai, Skai Jackson, Chrishell Stause and Nev Schulman.
MEET THE SEASON 29 'DWTS' CELEBRITY CAST
While he's excited to see all of the contestants dance, Hough said he can't wait to see Johnny Weir take to the dance floor.
One advantage to not having a live studio audience? No boos for giving out a low score!
"Hm, I hadn't thought of that yet, but that's a good point! I don't have to worry about the boos!" Hough said. "By the way for me, I bet they'll have a boo track where they'll be like boop, or I'm sure they'll find a way to hold us accountable for our talking points or our judging comments."
Watch Derek's full interview
"Dancing with the Stars" kicks off its new season live on Monday, September 14 at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC.
