Derek Hough Shares His Wish List for the 2024 ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Cast

If Derek Houghwho has been confirmed to return as a judge for season 33 of Dancing with the stars, knows one of the celebrity contestants on the new season of the long-running dance competition series, he is excellent at keeping the secret. That said, Parade was able to drag a few names from his wish list of people he would like to see cha-cha-cha on the dance floor.

“I would love to see Anya Taylor-Joyhe says. “She’s a great actress, but I’ve also heard she’s a great dancer, so I’d love to see her dance. She’d be fantastic. And I always talk about Celine Dionbecause every time I see her, we end up dancing, and so I would love to see her. But of course, in the reality star world, I was really into The traitors the last year i loved it because i love playing Mafia it’s such a fun game i thought Paidra“She’s a character, I think she would be fantastic on the show.”

Of course there is no season of DWTS would be complete without a member of Bachelor nation, and Derek suggests that The Golden Bachelor‘S Gerry Turner probably has some movements, but he also thinks Clayton Echard is a possibility.

“I don’t know why, but he keeps showing up in my algorithm and I keep seeing him going to dance classes,” Derek says. “So I’m like, ‘Is he preparing for something?’ I don’t know.”

What he does know is that Olympian Stefan Incomprehensible, the winner of the silver medal on the pommel horse, who is the only confirmed celebrity so far, is a great casting, one of his own making.

“It’s so funny, I actually called it,” he continues. “I saw Stephen on TV with the glasses and I texted Dane (Cat), the casting director, I said, ‘Deena, are you on the phone yet?’ She said, ‘I’m on it.’ She was already one step ahead. Of course, she’s incredible.”

Related: Dancing with the stars Cast a Very Controversial Celebrity for Season 33

Dancing with the stars kicks off the new season on Tuesday 17th September and Derek is looking forward to being back in the ballroom as the energy is always charged and exciting.

“I’m looking forward to the new cast because they always play a huge role in how the season unfolds,” he says.

Additionally, the four-time Emmy-winning choreographer, most recently for the “Higher” routine that he, his wife Hayley Erbert and the cast performed with Michael Buble will appear on the show in 2023, has something special in the works for the upcoming season.

“We don’t know for sure what it’s going to be yet, but yeah, there’s definitely something in the pipeline for this season.”

Related: Dancing with the stars Alum Lindsay Arnold Cusick Shares Her Wish List for the 2024 Cast

Parade also talked more with Derek about DWTS system, the importance of nutrition in staying in shape for dancing, his support of the ‘Flex with StarKist’ campaign and his upcoming holiday special Derek Hough: Dancing for the Holidays.

With dancing it seems like you get enough exercise to stay in top shape, but do you do anything else besides that?

I do. I do so many different modalities, from yoga to strength training to heavy weights. I also love walking and hiking and being outdoors, anything that keeps my body moving, but there’s nothing that prepares you for dancing like dancing. But I do try to stay in shape by moving every day, you know? It was my anniversary recently and we walked about six miles, so I still move, even on special days.

Thanks to MOVI Inc.

Diet also plays a big role in fitness. You recently added StarKist protein, which contains salmon and chicken in addition to tuna.

What’s great about it is the convenience. The StarKist protein pouches come in chicken, salmon, beef, and of course tuna, but what’s great about it is that they’re very, very convenient. They’re in the pouches, boom, ready to go. And for me, who’s a creature of habit, the great thing about it is that it gives you a variety of flavors. I love the Hot Buffalo Chicken and the Lemon Pepper Tuna.

I did a post about working with StarKist and these pouches, and my dad, he’s 70 years old and he just hiked the Tetons, and he texted me, he was like, “Hey, what do you think I use on those big hikes?” He literally took all these little pouches on hikes, and I had no idea. I’m talking about how handy they are to take on hikes, and my dad did that too.

So it’s a great partnership for me because I’m always on the go, I’m always busy or doing something, so it’s really convenient and easy to get that important source of protein every day.

Besides the different flavors, they also seem to be low in calories and high in protein?

Exactly. They’re a great companion for anyone who’s trying to follow a meal plan or have something that’s convenient. Often times when people are trying to eat healthier or get protein in, sometimes discomfort gets in the way. But this really, really helps, so it’s a perfect companion for anyone who’s trying to get that good protein in every day.

When we think of StarKist, we think of Charlie Tuna. Do you have a favorite way to eat tuna, other than these bags? A tuna melt, tuna burgers, tuna noodle casserole?

You know what? I had a tuna melt yesterday, and I don’t think I’ve had a tuna melt in a long time and it was incredible. It was so good, so I have to say that. But I also love a good old tuna casserole.

You were talking about being in motion. Five years ago you were talking about yourself in terms of living in motion. Would you still describe your life that way? And what does that mean besides motion?

I think for me it’s all about momentum, you know? I think momentum is such a powerful thing. We’ve all had that feeling when you’re starting something, and it can be really hard in the beginning. Whether it’s the first time you go to the gym or the first time you start a project, that very first part can be really hard. But as a few days go by, you start to get that momentum, it gets easy, and then it gets more fun, then it becomes more second nature.

So for me, the idea of ​​life in motion is the idea of ​​staying in momentum, staying in this place of momentum, forward momentum. I don’t know, it’s just helpful to let things flow naturally and effortlessly. But also, I’ve always said, for me, it’s the idea of ​​not just moving physically, but also emotionally, you know? What moves me emotionally and how can I impact others in some way? So movement isn’t just physical per se, it’s emotional as well, and that’s something I try to implement as much as possible.

Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli

ABC/Eric McCandless

Because I am a DWTS How do you think you can best serve the participants as a jury member?

I genuinely try to give good advice and criticism. For me, it’s not just about saying, “I didn’t like that; I did like that,” I try to do the best job I can: “I need you to work on this next week.” Because sometimes in the past, if I remember correctly, I’d do a jive that week and they’d be like, “Okay, I need you to work on your kicks and flips.” I’d be like, “Well, they’re never going to do a jive again, or at least not next week,” so I try to say what I need to work on next week depending on what dance they’re getting.

So that’s my goal. I really understand what they’re going through, and I understand the difficulty and how hard it is, but I also know what it takes. I know when someone’s putting in the effort and when someone’s not putting in the effort, and it’s obvious, you can see it. It’s not about whether they’re good or bad, you can just see, “Oh, they’re not putting in the effort” or “They’re not really in this to compete, they’re just here to enjoy themselves.” So I try to give them a little bit of that experience, but I also want them to enjoy it, because at the end of the day, it’s supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

Related: Dancing with the stars Transforming Celebrities Into Dancers! Here’s a Look Back at Every Winner, Including the 2023 Mirrorball Champ

No one has come close to your six Mirrorball Trophy wins. Do you think it’s choreography? Or do you think it’s your ability to teach people and work with people and give them what they need to learn?

I don’t know. I look back on my experience and I feel very grateful, because I think there are a lot of different things. Having the right partner is important, but it’s also important to maximize the partner that you have. I think there are a lot of people who have had incredible talent and are amazing partners, but unfortunately fell short. So to really know, “Okay, I have someone who has the ability to go all the way,” and to really believe that and really see it, to really see the whole journey.

I always try to work on myself by hearing things, learning things, listening to podcasts or reading books, and I think I learned a lot about myself during that time and I sometimes passed that on to my partner. I almost experimented with things with them, like learning how to deal with nerves or how to take control of our mental state to go out and perform.

So, I don’t know, but I think I’ll say one thing about myself, when I’m a competitor, I get pretty obsessive, I never stop thinking about it. I lie in bed and I think about routines, I think about song choices, I think about costumes. If I’m in it, I’m in it until the end, you know?

Derek Hough: Dancing for the Holidays is a 38-city tour. What can we look forward to?

Oh man, yeah, super excited. I’m working on all the music right now. Actually, they have about 12 musicians in the studio today recording all the trumpets and brass and drums and bass and guitars, all the music. It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to have all the classics and some new stuff. Some songs that you know, but you’re going to hear different versions of, that I’m really excited that we did. There could be a Grinch tango, I guess.

It’s really cool, the song that we did, but also the costumes, the lighting, the energy. And what I also love is that the holidays are about love and joy and giving, and the secret of life is giving, and so I’m super excited to implement that into the show and bring a lot of joy to audiences all over the country. We have an amazing cast of dancers, there’s going to be singing and dancing and music. The usual suspects, but in a completely different format, so I’m excited to bring the show to the people.

It seems like this is also how you keep your interest in music going.

Absolutely. There’s even a version of “Drummer Boy” that we do, every time I play it for someone, they grin, they’re like, “Wow, this is cool.” It’s very rock ‘n’ roll and who would have thought that “Drummer Boy” could be so cool, you know?

Dancing with the stars will be back on ABC and Disney+ starting September 17 at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

Next, Everything you need to know about Dancing with the stars Season 33