“Derek, what was that song? I was talking about one of my favorite moments, with you and Amy Purdy!” judge Carrie Ann Inaba calls out to her colleague, pro dancer Derek Hough, while we chat during her June 2025 photo shoot.
Without missing a beat (naturally), Hough responds, “‘Only Human’ by Christina Perri.” He danced with the Paralympian athlete in Season 18.
“Yes!” Inaba says. “There are moments that touch your soul that you can never erase from your heart. They change your perspective — like seeing everything Amy’s overcome and watching her take flight.” On cue, a few white feathers from the trim on Inaba’s angelic gown float free and swirl around the studio.
Time flies too. “I remember walking onto the set the very first day and meeting Bruno [Tonioli] and Len [Goodman], not knowing that this was going to be such an amazing journey,” says Inaba, who was part of the original judging panel in 2005 after gaining fame in the 1990s for being one of the first Fly Girls on In Living Color. She also was a featured solo dancer on Madonna’s Girlie Show World Tour in 1993. Now, she says, “We’ve watched dancers come and go and have families — it’s time for grandkids!”
Disney / Eric McCandless
One dream celeb Inaba would love to see on the show is Scottish comic and former late show host Craig Ferguson. “He’s tall and he’s got a great sense of humor, which means he’s got rhythm.” It turns out comedic timing translates to the dance floor.
“I’d like to see more Asian Pacific Islanders,” adds Inaba, who grew up in Honolulu. “I love diversity. Lots of color, different backgrounds, physical situations. Dance is the universal language of empowerment. That’s what’s so great about our show. People love to be inspired and watch somebody that they can relate to. It’s people trying and failing and getting up again. Just getting out on our dance floor is winning.”
For a more extended celebration of two decade of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands August 29.
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