'It's So Much More Than Rhinestones and Lights'

As the ultra-hot competition turns 20, the siblings get candid with Us on the show that's given them a loving work family and strengthened their own bond

- CHRISTINA GARIBALDI

Why has DWTS lasted? Says Derek: "[You get to] watch people do something they've dedicated their lives to. There's something beautiful about that."

Dancing With the Stars has come a long way since Julianne and Derek Hough joined the feelgood reality competition back in 2007 (her in the spring, him in the fall).

“In the beginning, it was like the Wild Wild West,” recalls Derek. “We're like, maybe we'll do a bench. Maybe we'll have a bike on stage. Maybe try a stool. No joke, having a stool [on stage] was a big deal. Now it’s like, ‘Hey, can I have an Aztec ruin come from the ceiling [with a] water feature coming down [so it’s] raining on set?”

Not surprisingly, the siblings can’t help but get emotional when they talk about the show’s 20-year milestone. (Fans may get emotional, too, at what's in store for ABC's special birthday episode Nov. 11 at 8 P.M.: Revered ex-host Tom Bergeron is a guest judge; all first-round dances will be to music from iconic freestyles of the last 20 years; and for the first time, the celebrities will be doing competitive dances minus their pro partners for bonus points!)

For Derek and Julianne, they've spent much of their adult lives in the DWTS ballroom. Julianne, 37, danced as a pro for five seasons, winning two Mirrorball Trophies, then returned for another five seasons as a judge before becoming the cohost alongside Alfonso Ribeiro in 2023. Derek, 40, spent 17 seasons as a pro, taking home a record six trophies, and turned judge in 2020. “I feel humbled that I've been able to be a part of a show that raised me,” says Julianne. “It’s always been my safe place to call home.”

Derek credits