Julianne Hough has been a professional dancer for nearly twenty years — but she admits it can still be awkward dancing with her brother Derek Hough.
While a guest on Barstool Sports’ Chicks in the Office podcast, Julianne shared the story of when Dancing With The Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba had the sibling duo perform a steamy rumba during one of the first DWTS tours.
“We were on this tour and Carrie Ann actually was the one that choreographed everything and she got us to do a rumba together,” Julianne explained. “You guys, that is the dance of love.”
“Our names in the program were Derek and Julianne Hough, so everybody thought we were married, and we were doing this rumba,” she continued. “When people found out we were brother and sister, I remember specifically there was one venue where we were dancing and we just heard ‘That’s just wrong!'”
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Despite the awkwardness, Julianne admits that she and Inaba still laugh about the routine.
“Carrie Ann to this day, she’s like, ‘I’m sorry I made you guys dance the rumba.'” Julianne said.
Though both Hough siblings have since retired as DWTS pros, both are still involved with the long-running reality competition series. Julianne co-hosts the show with season 19 champion Alfonso Ribeiro, while Derek is a judge alongside Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
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“It’s really cool that we get to do similar things in our own way,” Julianne said about the siblings’ roles on the show. “We’re cut from the same cloth, so there’s a lot of similar energy, but we’re very different.”
Julianne adds that Derek is “protective” of her, often hoping to shield her from social media criticism. However, Julianne insists she doesn’t care, joking that she can a bit of a “wrecking ball” for her older brother.
Dancing With The Stars premieres Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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