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Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin dance and , choreographer, actor, singer, and television personality.Hairspray Live!Ballas Hough Band From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series Dancing with the Stars, winning the show a record-breaking six times with his celebrity partners. For his work, Hough received 14 nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography, winning the award 4 times. Hough later became a judge on the series beginning with its 29th season.
Hough has also appeared as an actor on stage, appearing at the West End premiere of at the Novello Theatre and as well as the 2015 New York Spring Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In film and television, he has starred in the film Make Your Move and had a recurring role in the ABC musical-drama Nashville. In 2016, he appeared as Corny Collins in NBC's live musical TV-production of Hairspray Live!
From 2017 to 2020, Hough served as a judge on the NBC dance competition series World of Dance. Since September 2025, Hough has been hosting Extra beginning with its 32nd season.
When Hough was 12, his divorcing parents sent him to London to live and study with dance coaches Corky Ballas and Shirley Ballas. Hough's sister Julianne joined him in London several months later. Originally intending to stay for three months, Hough remained in London for ten years (Julianne returned after five years). The Ballases helped tutor the two Hough children alongside their own son, Mark Ballas, schooling them at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. They received training in singing, theater, gymnastics and many forms of dance, including jazz, ballet and tap. The three children formed their own pop music trio 2B1G ("2 Boys, 1 Girl") and performed at dance competitions in the UK and the U.S., and showcased UK television shows. Hough subsequently taught at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. As well as being trained in many forms of dance, Hough can also play the piano, guitar, drums and bass.
On September 22, 2013, for the first time, the category for Outstanding Choreography for the Emmy Awards was moved to the Primetime Live Show, and all of the nominees in the category were to create and perform a number with the host of the show, Neil Patrick Harris. Hough, who was nominated for Dancing with the Stars, was part of that number, along with the other nominees. Ken Ehrlich, the executive producer of the show, stated, "It's definitely going to be an original number, something that hasn't been done before. It's going to utilize the talents of all of them to put this number together as choreographers." Hough then went on to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography. On September 12, 2015, Hough won his second Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography, alongside Julianne Hough and Tessandra Chavez. This was both Julianne Hough's and Chavez's first Emmy win for outstanding choreography. Including the two nominations that he went on to win, Hough has been nominated for nine Emmy Awards for choreography.
Following the success of the 2014 tour and high demand, the Houghs announced the return of "Move Live on Tour" in the summer of 2015. Spanning from June 12, 2015, to August 8, 2015, the sold-out tour visited over 40 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada, and visited larger venues than in the previous year. Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo "Nappytabs" returned as collaborating choreographers alongside the Hough siblings. Auditions were also held to recruit a new group of dancers to join the Houghs, although some back-up dancers from the previous year returned.
On July 9, 2016, the Houghs held a free fitness pop-up event called 'Move Interactive' in Los Angeles, which they announced would be the first of many to come. The event started off in Sherman Oaks with a workout session at Pulse Fitness Studios led by celebrity personal trainer and owner, Mark Harari. The participants then took part in a 2-mile run along Ventura Blvd, before finishing off with a dance fitness class at JustDance Los Angeles. According to Hough, the motivation behind the event was to "bring health, love, community and human interaction into our everyday lives." The following week, on July 14, the Houghs held a second free Move Interactive event in Fryman Canyon, LA, which included a hike and team building exercises.
On December 14, 2016, they announced, via social media, that they would be going on a new tour, MOVE BEYOND Live on Tour, in 2017.
For season eight, Hough was paired with rapper Lil' Kim. They were eliminated on May 5, 2009, from the show finishing in fifth place. For season nine, Hough was partnered with model Joanna Krupa. They were eliminated during week nine, the semi-finals, on November 17, 2009, finishing fourth. For season ten, Hough was partnered with Nicole Scherzinger, the lead singer from the singing group The Pussycat Dolls and former member of Eden's Crush. The couple reached the finals and won the competition on May 25, 2010. That was the second win for Hough. For season eleven, Hough won for the third time with actress Jennifer Grey, known for her film roles on Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, on November 23, 2010. Hough did not participate in season 12 in order to be a part of the film COBU 3D (later renamed to Make your Move 3D).
For season 13, he was partnered with actress and TV host Ricki Lake, known for playing the original Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray. Lake scored consistently high the whole season and ended up in third place. For season 14, Hough partnered with television personality Maria Menounos. In week seven, the couple earned the first 30 of the season and topped the leader board the first time in the season. The couple made it to the semi-finals but were eliminated after they finished at the top of the leader board. Menounos became the second celebrity in Dancing with the Stars history to be eliminated on a night where she came in first place with the judges (the first was Willa Ford in season three). For season 15 ( All Stars), Hough was paired with season eight champion, Shawn Johnson. They were runners-up to Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani.
On July 27, 2012, Hough announced that season 15 would be his last. A few months later, on February 22, 2013, Hough announced that he would be back for season 16, stating on his Twitter account, "Wasn't sure if I was able to do this season because of my other projects, but worked it out so I can do both. #pumped.". He was partnered with country singer and former American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler. On May 21, 2013, Pickler was crowned season 16 champion, marking the fourth time Derek won the Mirror Ball trophy, and made him the only pro to have won four Mirror Balls. On August 2, 2013, Hough confirmed that he would be back for season 17 via an interview with Access Hollywood. The cast for season 17 was announced on September 4, 2013. Hough's partner for season 17 was Glee star Amber Riley. Riley was crowned season 17 champion, historically marking the fifth time Hough has won the Mirror Ball trophy, and made him once again the only pro to have won five Mirror Balls.
For season 18, Hough was paired with paralympic snowboarder, Amy Purdy. In the finale on May 20, 2014, the couple was runner-up for the season, behind Meryl Davis and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. On August 13, 2014, ABC announced that Hough would be back for the season 19 and in September, it was announced that he would be paired with YouTube personality Bethany Mota. The couple made it to the first night of the finals, finishing in fourth place. On February 24, 2015, Hough was announced as one of the returning professional dancers on season 20 despite previously reporting he would not be taking part in this season. He was partnered with gymnast Nastia Liukin. They made it to the semi-finals, but were subsequently eliminated on May 12, finishing in fourth place.
For season 21, he was paired with wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin. The couple made it to the finals and won the competition on November 24, 2015, marking Hough's sixth win on the show. Hough did not return for Season 22. On August 30, 2016, it was revealed that Hough would once again return as a professional dancer for season 23. He was paired with actress Marilu Henner. They were eliminated on November 7, 2016, finishing in 6th place which is tied for his lowest finish.
On September 8, 2020, it was revealed, after much speculation, that Hough would replace longtime DWTS judge Len Goodman. Due to the travel restrictions between England and the United States during the coronavirus pandemic, Goodman was unable to return for season 29. He returned as a judge for its 30th and 31st seasons and after the retirement and death of Goodman, he was named interim head judge for season 32.
| 5 | Jennie Garth | 4th | 25.67 |
| 6 | Shannon Elizabeth | 6th | 24.38 |
| 7 | Brooke Burke | 1st | 27.06 |
| 8 | Lil' Kim | 5th | 25.82 |
| 9 | Joanna Krupa | 4th | 25.46 |
| 10 | Nicole Scherzinger | 1st | 27.53 |
| 11 | Jennifer Grey | 27.18 | |
| 13 | Ricki Lake | 3rd | 26.67 |
| 14 | Maria Menounos | 4th | 26.75 |
| 15 | Shawn Johnson | 2nd | 27.93 |
| 16 | Kellie Pickler | 1st | 27.4 |
| 17 | Amber Riley | 27.75 | |
| 18 | Amy Purdy | 2nd | 27.87 |
| 19 | Bethany Mota | 4th | 27.2 |
| 20 | Nastia Liukin | 27.44 | |
| 21 | Bindi Irwin | 1st | 27.88 |
| 23 | Marilu Henner | 6th | 23.8 |
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Uptown Girl" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Suddenly I See" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango / "Cite Tango" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso doble / "Because We Can" | 8 | 10 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Cosmic Girl" | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Mambo / "Mambo Baby" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 7 | Viennese Waltz / "Runaway" Rhumba / "Lauren Wood" | 8 9 | 8 9 | 9 10 | Last to be called safe |
| 8 | Jive / "It Takes Two" Foxtrot / "I've Got You Under My Skin" | 8 9 | 8 9 | 8 8 | Last to be called safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Tango / "The Take Over, The Breaks Over" Cha-cha-cha / "Mustang Sally" | 9 10 | 10 10 | 9 10 | Eliminated |
Season 6: celebrity partner: Shannon Elizabeth; average: 24.4; placed: 6th
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Shut Up and Drive" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Swing with Me" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Goody Two-Shoes" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Viennese Waltz / "Keep Holding On" | 9 | 10 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Pon de Replay" | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safe |
| 6 | Rhumba / "True Colors" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango / "Tanguedia III" Mambo / "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That" | 9 8 | 9 8 | 9 8 | Eliminated |
Season 7: celebrity partner: Brooke Burke; average: 27.1; placed: 1st
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "The Chi-Lites" | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe | |||||
| 2 | Quickstep / "Lover, Come Back to Me" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe | |||||
| 3 | Paso doble / "Palladio, First Movement" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe | |||||
| 4 | Viennese waltz / "Daughters" | 9 | 10 | 9 | Safe | |||||
| 5 | Samba / "Hip Hip Chin Chin" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe | |||||
| 6 | Jitterbug / "Don't Be Cruel" | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safe | |||||
| 7 | Rhumba / "No Air" | 8 | 101 | 9 | Safe | |||||
| 8 | Foxtrot / "Lullaby of Birdland" Group Paso doble / "Rocks" | 10 10 | 10 9 | 10 10 | Safe | |||||
| 9 | Tango / "Tango Diabolo" Mambo / "Cuban Mambo" | 10 9 | 8 9 | 10 9 | Safe | |||||
| 10 Semifinals | Jive / "The House is Rockin'" Salsa / "Barbarabatiri" | 7 9 | 7 10 | 7 9 | Safe | |||||
| 11 Finals | Samba / "Blame It On the Boogie" Street dance / "You're the One That I Want" Viennese waltz / "Daughters" | 9 10 10 | 9 10 10 | 10 10 10 ! style="background:gold;" | Won | |||||
| 1Due to Len Goodman's absence in week six the 9 was awarded by stand-in guest judge Michael Flatley | ||||||||||
Season 8: celebrity partner: Lil' Kim; average: 25.8; placed: 5th
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Nasty" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" | 8 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Remedio P'al Corazon" | 8 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Argentine Tango / "Taquito Militar" | 9 | 8 | 10 | Safe |
| 5 | Viennese Waltz / "I'll Be" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Jailhouse Rock" | 10 | 8 | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | Rumba / "Lost Without U" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Paso doble / "El Gato Montes" Team tango / "Womanizer" | 9 9 | 9 9 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 9 | Waltz / "When I Need You" Salsa / "Por Arriba, Por Abajo" | 8 9 | 9 9 | 8 9 | Eliminated |
Season 9: celebrity partner: Joanna Krupa; average: 25.5; placed: 4th
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Salsa / "Meddle" Foxtrot / "The Best Is Yet to Come" | 8 Awarded | 8 10 | 8 points | Safe |
| 2 | Jive / "What I Like About You" | 6 | 71 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "La Bomba" | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Lambada / "Dançando Lambada" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 52 | Argentine Tango / "Whatever Lola Wants" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Waltz / "Be Here To Love Me" Mambo / "Ran Kan Kan" | 8 Awarded | 9 10 | 9 points | Safe |
| 7 | Rumba / "The Look of Love" Team tango / "You Give Love a Bad Name" | 9 9 | 9 9 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Valerie" Paso doble / "Living on Video" | 8 9 | 7 10 | 8 10 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Viennese Waltz / "Hallelujah" Cha-cha-cha / "Can't Get You Out of My Head" Salsa / "Lal Luz Del Ritmo" | 9 9 9 | 9 9 9 | 9 9 9 | Eliminated |
| 1Due to Len Goodman's absence in week two the 7 was awarded by stand-in guest judge Baz Luhrmann. 2Due to illness, Hough was unfortunately unable to perform that night. Krupa performed this dance and the Group Hustle with stand-in partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. | |||||
Season 10: celebrity partner: Nicole Scherzinger; average: 27.5; placed: 1st
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Viennese Waltz / "Hold You In My Arms" | 9 | 7 | 9 | No elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "SOS" | 10 | 8 | 10 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Anything Goes" | 8 | 6 | 9 | Safe |
| 41 | Rumba / "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" | 9 8 | 8 8 | 8 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Oh, Pretty Woman" | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Samba / "María" Swing Marathon / "In the Mood" | 9 Awarded | 7 10 | 10 points | Safe |
| 7 | Waltz / "You Light Up My Life" Team GaGa / Cha-cha / "Telephone" | 9 9 | 9 9 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Foxtrot / "Haven't Met You Yet" Paso doble / "Classical guitar" | 10 10 | 9 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Argentine tango / "El Capitalismo Foraneo" Cha-cha-cha / "Kiss" | 10 10 | 10 9 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Rumba / "The Lady in Red" Freestyle / "A Little Less Conversation" Argentine tango / "El Capitalismo Foraneo" Jive / "Proud Mary" | 9 9 10 10 | 9 9 10 10 | 10 9 10 10 ! style="background:gold;" | Won |
| 1This week's dance received two scores from the judges; one for its technical execution and one for the performance. | |||||
Season 11: celebrity partner: Jennifer Grey; average: 27.2; placed: 1st
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Viennese Waltz / "These Arms of Mine" | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 2 | Jive / "Shake It" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "A Little Respect" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 41 | Argentine tango / "La Cumparsita" | 9 10 | 9 9 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Love and Marriage" | 8 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Paso doble / "So What" Rock 'n' Roll Marathon / "La Grange" | 7 Awarded | 7 9 | 7 points | Safe |
| 7 | Tango / "Shut Up" Team Apollo (Cha-cha-cha) / "Bust A Move" | 102/9 9 | 9 9 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Let's Face the Music and Dance" Rhumba / "Waiting for a Girl Like You" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Cha-cha-cha / "Mercy" Waltz / "Way Over Yonder" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Paso doble / "Habanera" Freestyle / "Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)" Viennese Waltz / "These Arms of Mine" Instant cha-cha-cha/"Raise Your Glass" | 10 10 10 9 | 10 10 10 9 | 10 10 10 10 ! style="background:gold;" | Won |
| 1This week's dance received two scores from the judges; one for its technical execution and one for the performance. 2Score from guest judge Drew Lachey. Notes: Hough and Grey hold the most perfect scores in all 16 seasons with six perfect 30s. They won season 11 on November 23, 2010, and this season marked Hough's third win, making him the first pro to win three times. | |||||
Season 13: celebrity Partner: Ricki Lake; Average: 26.7; Placed: 3rd
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Viennese Waltz / "This Year's Love" | 7 | 6 | 7 | Safe |
| 2 | Jive / "Hey Ya!" | 8 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Rumba / "Gravity" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Theme from Psycho" | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Easy Lover" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Quickstep / "Luck Be a Lady" | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble / "Sweet Dreams" Team paso doble / "Bring Me to Life" | 9 9 | 9 8 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Waltz / "You Make Me Feel" Instant Jive / "Land of a Thousand Dances" | 9 8 | 9 8 | 10 8 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Samba / "Jump in the Line" Argentine tango / "Allerdings" Cha-cha-cha relay / "I Like How It Feels" | 10 9 Awarded | 10 10 8 | 10 10 points | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Cha-cha-cha / "Yeah 3x" Freestyle / "Can't Touch It" Tango / Theme from Psycho | 9 9 10 | 9 9 10 | 9 9 10 | Third place |
Season 14: celebrity partner: Maria Menounos; average: 26.8; placed: 4th
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Sexy Sexy" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Rumba / "Material Girl" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "School's Out" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Salsa / "The Cup of Life" | 9 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Foxtrot / "Jimmy Mack" Motown Marathon / "Nowhere to Run" | 8 Awarded | 9 4 | 9 points | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble / "Montagues and Capulets" Team tango / "Toccata" | 10 9 | 10 9 | 10 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "A Thousand Years" (Trio Challenge)1 Samba / "Mama Do the Hump" | 10 9 | 8 7 | 10 9 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Argentine tango / "La Yumba" Jive / "Tightrope" | 10 10 | 10 9 | 10 10 | Eliminated |
| 1The dancer Hough and Menounos chose for the Trio Challenge was Henry Byalikov. | |||||
Season 15: celebrity partner: Shawn Johnson; average: 27.9; Placed: 2nd
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Good Time" | 8 | 6.5 | 7.5 | Safe |
| 2 | Jive / "The Nicest Kids in Town" | 8.5 | 8 | 8.5 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Hey Pachuco" | 9 | 8 | 9.5 | Safe |
| 4 | Mambo / "Carlos Santana" | 10 | 9.5 | 101/10 | Safe |
| 5 | Rumba / "My Heart Will Go On" Group freestyle / "Call Me Maybe" | 9 9.5 | 8 10 | 10 10 | No elimination |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha / "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" | 9.5 | 8.5 | 10 | Safe |
| 72 | Tango & Paso doble / "Livin' On A Prayer" Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing" | 10 Awarded | 10 8 | 10 points | No elimination |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "Sarah McLachlan" (Trio Challenge)3 Samba / "Jungle Jazz" | 10 10 | 9.5 7 | 10 9 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Bhangra "Knight Rider" / "Mundian to Bach Ke" Argentine tango / "Bad" | 10 9 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Quickstep / "Hey Pachuco" Freestyle / "Carnival de Paris" Instant Cha-cha-cha / "Respect | 9 10 10 | 8.5 10 10 | 9.5 10 10 ! style="background:silver;" | Runner-up |
| 1Score from guest judge Paula Abdul 2During Week seven, Mark Ballas danced with Shawn Johnson in place of Hough, due to Hough having an injury in his neck. 3The dancer Hough and Johnson chose for the Trio Challenge was Mark Ballas. | |||||
Season 16: Celebrity partner: Kellie Pickler; average: 27.4; placed: 1st
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Domino" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No elimination |
| 2 | Jazz dance / "Lights" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Footloose" | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba / "Say I Do" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 51 | Foxtrot / "It Had to Be You" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Quickstep / "Part-Time Lover" Team Samba / "Superstition" | 9 8 | 10 9 | 10 8 | Safe |
| 7 | Samba / "Shake Your Bon-Bon" | 9 | 10 | 10 | Safe (Immunity) |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "Fade Into You" Paso doble (trio challenge)2 / "Unstoppable" | 9 10 | 9 7 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Argentine tango / "Para Te" Flamenco / "The Pirate That Should Not Be" | 10 9 | 10 10 | 10 9 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Quickstep / "Peppy and George" Cha-cha-cha relay / "Treasure" Freestyle / "Beneath Your Beautiful" Instant jive / "Keep A-Knockin'" | 10 Awarded 10 10 | 10 4 10 10 | 10 points 10 10 ! style="background:gold;" | Won |
| 1Hough and Pickler chose Henry Byalikov and Anna Trebunskaya to dance with them on the "Side-By-Side" Challenge. 2The dancer Hough and Pickler chose for the Trio Challenge was Tristan MacManus. Note: This season was Derek's fourth win, making him the only pro with four mirrorball trophies. | |||||
Season 17: Celebrity partner: Amber Riley; average: 27.8; placed: 1st
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Wings" | 9 | 9 | 9 | No elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Reet Petite" | 8 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "Bang Bang" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Love Lockdown" | 9 | 91 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Try a Little Tenderness" | 9 | 8 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Samba / "Get It Right" Switch-Up Challenge / Various | 10 Awarded | 8 4 | 10 points | No elimination |
| 7 | Paso doble / "Diablo Rojo" Group Freestyle / "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 8 | Rumba / "If I Could Turn Back Time" | 9 | 92 | 10 | Safe (Immunity) |
| 9 | Quickstep / "That's It!" Salsa (Trio challenge)3 / "Que Viva la Vida" | 8 9 | 8 9 | 8 9 | Safe |
| 10 Semifinals | Jazz / "Locked Out of Heaven" Viennese Waltz / "Locked Out of Heaven" (acoustic version) | 10 10 | 10/94 10/104 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 11 Finals | Charleston / "Bang Bang" Samba relay / "No Scrubs" Freestyle / "Can You Do This" | 10 Awarded 10 | 10 4 10 | 10 points 10 | Safe |
| Quickstep & Samba Fusion / "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" | 10 | 10 | 10 ! style="background:gold;" | Won | |
| 1In week four, judge Len Goodman was absent and guest judge Julianne Hough filled in for him. 2In week eight, judge Len Goodman was absent and guest judge Cher filled in for him. 3The dancer Hough and Riley chose for the Trio Challenge is Mark Ballas. 4Score from guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Note: This season was Derek's fifth win, making him the only pro with five mirrorball trophies and the first to have two back-to-back wins. | |||||
Season 18: Celebrity partner: Amy Purdy; average: 27.9; placed: 2nd
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Counting Stars" | 8 | 8 | 8 | No elimination |
| 2 | Swing / "Swing Set" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Contemporary / "Human" | 9 | 9/91 | 9 | Safe |
| 42 | Salsa / "Brand New" | 9 | 8/83 | 9 | No elimination |
| 5 | Waltz / "So This Is Love" | 9 | 9/104 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Shout" | 9 | 105/9 | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | Rumba / "Light My Fire" Team Loca (Freestyle) / "Livin' la Vida Loca" | 9 10 | 96/9 106/9 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 8 | Argentine tango / "Heart Upon My Sleeve" Celebrity Dance Duel (Jive) / "Ain't Nothing Wrong with That" | 10 9 | 10/107 10/10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 9 Semifinals | Quickstep / "You Can't Hurry Love" Jazz dance / "Too Darn Hot" | 10 9 | 9/108 10/10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Salsa / "Ran Kan Kan" Freestyle / "Dare You" Argentine tango & Cha-cha-cha fusion / "Rather Be" | 10 10 10 | 10 9 10 | 10 10 10 ! style="background:silver;" | Runner-up |
| 1Score from guest judge Robin Roberts 2For this week only, as part of the "Partner Switch-Up", Purdy did not perform with Derek Hough and instead performed with Mark Ballas. 3Score from guest judge Julianne Hough. 4Score from guest judge Donny Osmond. 5Score from guest judge Redfoo. 6Scores from guest judge Ricky Martin. 7Score from guest judge Dance Moms. 8Score from guest judge Kenny Ortega. | |||||
Season 19: Celebrity partner: Bethany Mota average: 36.3; placed: 4th
| Inaba | Goodman | J. Hough | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Jive / "Shake It Off" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "All About That Bass" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Jazz / "Singin' in the Rain" | 10 | 101 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba / "Try" | 8 | 92 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 53 | Hip-hop dance / "She Came to Give It to You" | 8 | 84 | 8 | 8 | No elimination |
| 6 | Tango / "Jealous (I Ain't with It)" | 9 | 95 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble / "Run Boy Run" Team freestyle / "Black Widow" | 10 9 | 9 9 | 10 9 | 10 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Salsa / "Babalu" Cha-cha-cha dance-off / "Really Don't Care" | 9 Awarded | 9 3 | 9 extra | 10 points | Safe |
| 9 | Viennese Waltz / "Say You Love Me" Trio Argentine tango / "Jungle" | 9 9 | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 10 Semi-finals | Samba / "I Want You Back" Contemporary / "I Want You Back" (acoustic version) | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 11 Finals | Jive / "Shake It Off" Freestyle / "Revolution (District 78 Remix)" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 ! style="background:cyan;" | Fourth place |
| 1 Score given by guest judge Kevin Hart in place of Goodman. 2The American public scored the dance in place of Goodman with the averaged score being counted alongside the three other judges. 3This week only, for "Partner Switch-Up" week, Mota performed with Mark Ballas instead of Hough. Hough performed with Sadie Robertson. 4Score given by guest judge Jessie J in place of Goodman. 5Score given by guest judge Pitbull in place of Goodman. | ||||||
Season 20: Celebrity partner: Nastia Liukin average: 36.6; placed: 4th
| Inaba | Goodman | J. Hough | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "New York, New York" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Rumba / "Thinking Out Loud" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Chillando Goma"" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Argentine tango / "Variations on Dark Eyes" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 5 | Jazz / "Love Is an Open Door" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Tango / "Summer" Team freestyle / "Wipe Out" | 9 10 | 8 9 | 8 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 71 | Charleston / "Honey, I'm Good" | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | Safe (Immunity) |
| 81 | Paso doble / "Centuries" Trio Jive / "Diane Young" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 91 (Semi-finals) | Quickstep / "Feeling Good" Viennese Waltz / "Fall for You" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Eliminated |
| 1Nastia Liukin performed with Sasha Farber as Derek Hough was unable to perform due to an injury. Despite this, Hough choreographed and participated in the dance, but remained limited. For week nine, however, Liukin performed her Quickstep with Farber and her Viennese Waltz with Hough. | ||||||
Season 21: celebrity partner Bindi Irwin; average: 37.2; placed: 1st
| Inaba | Goodman | J. Hough | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Jive / "Crocodile Rock" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | No elimination |
| 2 | Ballroom tango / "You Shook Me All Night Long" Waltz / "Only a Man" | 8 8 | 8 8 | 8 8 | 8 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Movin' on Up" | 8 | 81 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Contemporary / "Every Breath You Take" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 52 | Cha-cha-cha / "Hold My Hand" | 9 | 103 | 9 | 9 | No elimination |
| 6 | Rhumba / "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" | 10 | 104 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | Argentine Tango / "Cry Little Sister" Team Freestyle / "Ghostbusters" | 10 9 | 10 9 | 10 10 | 10 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Foxtrot / "Grace Kelly" | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| Jive Dance-off / "Travelin' Band" | No | extra | points | awarded | ||
| 9 | Viennese Waltz / "Roses and Violets" Team-up dance (Charleston) / "All That Jazz" & "Hot Honey Rag" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 Semi-finals | Salsa / "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" Trio Jazz / "Resolve" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | No elimination |
| Samba Dance-off / "Lean On" | 3 | extra | points | awarded | ||
| 11 Finals | Quickstep / "Dr. Bones" Freestyle / "Footprints in the Sand" Argentine Tango & Cha-cha-cha Fusion / "All the Way" | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 ! style="background:gold;" | Won |
| 1 Score given by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro. 2 This week only, for "Partner Switch-Up" week, Irwin performed with Valentin Chmerkovskiy instead of Hough. Hough performed with Alexa PenaVega. 3 Score given by guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy. 4 Score given by guest judge Olivia Newton-John. | ||||||
Season 23: Celebrity partner: Marilu Henner average: 31.7; placed: 6th
| Inaba | Goodman | J. Hough | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Jive / "Can't Stop Dancing" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "Angela" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Ballroom tango / "Battle Cry" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 4 | Pasodoble / "Battlefield" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 5 | Viennese Waltz / "Surprise Yourself" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha / "Echa Pa'Lante" | 8 | 91 | 9 | 8 | Safe |
| 7 | Charleston / "Never Forget You" Team Freestyle / "Embrace" | 7 8 | 7 9 | 8 9 | 7 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Argentine Tango / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" Cha-cha-cha Dance-Off / "Can't Feel My Face" | 7 No | 8 Extra | 8 Points | 8 Awarded | Safe |
| 9 | Samba / "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" Team-up dance (Jazz dance) / "Big Noise from Winnetka" | 9 9 | 92 92 | 9 9 | 9 9 | Eliminated |
| 1 Score given by guest judge Pitbull. 2 Score given by guest judge Idina Menzel | ||||||
In 2006, Hough starred as Ren in the original cast production of at the Novelo Theatre in London's West End, as well as on the 2006 UK national tour. Hough's West End performance earned him a nomination as The Stuart Phillips London Newcomer of the Year in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards. Hough made his Broadway debut on January 8, 2010, starring with Kym Johnson and Mary Murphy in Burn the Floor for the final four performances of the show's Broadway run.
On January 13, 2015, it was announced that Hough would appear in the New York Spring Spectacular, at Radio City Music Hall. Due to the production, it was announced that Hough would not return for the 10th anniversary of Dancing with the Stars, however, during the cast announcement, Hough and partner Nastia Liukin were revealed as surprise contestants.
On April 25, 2011, Hough made a guest appearance on the ABC show Better with You as a dance instructor. On August 14, 2014, it was announced that he would join the cast of the ABC series Nashville for a multi-episode arc as Noah West. After three episodes during season three, Hough's character returns in the fourth season for more episodes.
On April 18, 2016, Hough guest starred on The CW series, Jane the Virgin.
On April 27, 2016, it was announced that Hough would play Corny Collins in the NBC live broadcast of Hairspray, which aired on December 7.
Hough was a founding member of the Ballas Hough Band (formerly Almost Amy) and he shared lead vocals, played guitar and had several songwriting credits on the band's self-titled debut CD that was released by Hollywood Records in March 2009.
Hough directed Mark Ballas' music video for his song "Get My Name" that was released on MTV on May 14, 2014.
Hough's first book Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion came out on August 5, 2014 and managed to enter The New York Times Best Seller list on August 24, 2014.
Along with Ballas, Hough bought a house in order to flip it for profit. The process of the home renovation was broadcast as a four-episode series on HGTV called Mark & Derek's Excellent Flip. The show aired in the Spring of 2015.
In 2016, Hough appeared alongside Lindsey Stirling in the music video for The Arena which he also choreographed.
In 2017, Hough participated in the celebrity edition of American Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day.
In 2017, in an interview with Billboard, Hough revealed that he is going to be performing on the alternative metal band Breaking Benjamin's upcoming album Ember, scheduled for a release in 2018.
In September 2019, Hough hosted an NBC special Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event. In November 2019, Hough had emergency surgery to remove his appendix due to appendicitis; he published a video of himself dancing with Hayley Erbert post-surgery.
In September 2020, he signed a wide-ranging deal with ABC Entertainment.
In September 2025, it was announced that Hough would replace Billy Bush as the host of Extra beginning with its 32nd season.
| Uncredited |
| Uncredited |
| Panelist; BBC One channel | |||
| 6-time winner; 2-time Emmy winner; Judge (season 29–present) | |||
| 2011 | MTV series; season 2, episode 35 | ||
| Special | |||
| HGTV series; all 4 episodes | |||
| Episodes: "Derek Hough vs Julianne Hough", "Shania Twain Tribute" | |||
| 2016, 2020–22 | Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration | Himself / Lead co-Host | Special |
| 2017–2020 | World of Dance | Judge | NBC Reality dance competition |
| Red Nose Day special | |||
| 2018 | |||
| 2019 | |||
| 2021 | Kennedy Center Honors | Paid tribute to actor Dick Van Dyke, an honoree for the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors TV special event which aired on CBS in June 2021. | |
| 2022 | Step into the Movies with Derek and Julianne Hough | ||
| 2023 | Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic | ||
| 2025 | Celebrity Wheel of Fortune | Contestant | |
| 2011 | Better with You | Philip | Episode: "Better With Dancing" |
| 2014–2016 | Nashville | Noah West | Recurring role |
| 2016 | Jane the Virgin | Salsa Dancer | Episode: "Chapter 40" |
| Hairspray Live! | Corny Collins | NBC live musical | |
| 2021 | Zack | Recurring role (Season 2) |
| Artist: Julianne Hough Single: "That Song in My Head" | |||
| Artist: Kate Voegele Album: A Fine Mess | |||
| Artist: Lil' Kim Single: "Download" | |||
| Artist: Cheryl Album: 3 Words | |||
| Artist: Kellie Pickler Single: "Someone Somewhere Tonight" | |||
| Artist: Mark Ballas Single: "Get My Name" | |||
| Artist: Lindsey Stirling Album: "Brave Enough" | |||
| Artist: Michael Bublé Album: Nobody But Me | |||
| Artist: Derek Hough Album: – | |||
| 2020 | Artist: Lindsey Stirling Album: "Artemis" | ||
| 2022 | "Higher" | Director | Artist: Michael Bublé Album: Higher (Michael Bublé album) |
| 2024 | "Can't Get Enough" | Dancer | Artist: Jennifer Lopez |
On April 10, 2014, Hough and his sister, Julianne, were honored at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA's second annual Kaleidoscope Ball with the Kaleidoscope Award, an award that is given to people of the entertainment industry who bring light and laughter into the lives of children through their professional achievements and personal humanitarianism.
On October 17, 2014, GLSEN, during its annual Respect Awards, honored Hough with the year's Inspiration Award.
| GLSEN | 2014 | Inspiration Award | Himself | ||
| Industry Dance Awards | 2015 | America's Favorite Choreographer | |||
| America's Favorite TV/Film Performance | "Elastic Heart" (with Julianne Hough & Tessandra Chavez) | ||||
| 2016 | America's Favorite Performance | "Footprints In The Sand" / "Grace Kelly" / "Cry Little Sister" | |||
| Favorite Dance Idol | Himself | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2009 | Outstanding Choreography | "Great Balls of Fire" (with Julianne Hough) | ||
| 2010 | "Living on Video" / "Anything Goes" | ||||
| "Malagueña" (with Chelsie Hightower) | |||||
| 2013 | "Hey Pachuco" / "Para Los Rumberos" / "Walking on Air" | ||||
| "Stars" / "Heart Cry" (with Allison Holker) | |||||
| 2014 | "Human" / "Too Darn Hot" / "Ameksa" | ||||
| 2015 | "Elastic Heart" (with Julianne Hough & Tessandra Chavez) | ||||
| 2016 | "Footprints In The Sand" / "Grace Kelly" / "Cry Little Sister" | ||||
| 2017 | "Kairos" | ||||
| 2021 | "Jingle Bells" | ||||
| "Paso Doble - Uccen", "Tap Dance - Let's Fall in Love for the Night" | |||||
| 2022 | "Moulin Rouge - Roxanne" (with Tessandra Chavez) | ||||
| 2023 | "Higher" | ||||
| Reality Television Awards | 2016 | Outstanding Performance | Derek and Amy Purdy | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | 2015 | Choice Dancer | Himself | ||
| 2016 | |||||
| 2017 | |||||
| The Dizzy Feet Foundation's Celebration of Dance Gala | 2016 | Inspiration Award | Derek and Julianne Hough | ||
| UCLA | 2014 | Kaleidoscope Award | Derek and Julianne Hough | ||
| World Choreography Awards | 2015 | Television Live Performance | "MKTO's Classic" (with Christopher Scott); Hough listed as co-choreographer | ||
| 2016 | Television Reality Show/Competition | "Elastic Heart" (with Julianne Hough & Tessandra Chavez) | |||
| 2020 | Music Video | "A Star Is Born" | |||
| 2021 | Television Reality Show/Competition | "Paso Doble" | |||
| 2022 | ""Tango of the Dead" | ||||
| 2023 | "Higher" | ||||
| Music Video | |||||
| World of Dance Industry Awards | 2016 | Best Choreography on TV | "Elastic Heart" (with Julianne Hough & Tessandra Chavez) | ||
| Young Hollywood Awards | 2014 | Hottest Body | Himself | ||
| Best Bromance | Derek and Mark Ballas |
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