‘Dancing with the Stars’ Fan Favorite Julianne Hough Returns

Julianne Hough is Dancing with the Stars' Fourth Judge
Julianne Hough (Photo © Richard Chavez)

Dancer/actress/musician Julianne Hough is back on Dancing with the Stars as the fourth judge, as just announced by ABC. Hough will take a seat next to returning judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli when the new season kicks off on September 15, 2014 at 8pm ET/PT.


ABC also announced that the celebrities who’ll be showing off their dancing moves will be revealed on September 4th.

The 12 dancers who’ll be paired up with this season’s celebrities will be Mark Ballas, Cheryl Burke, Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Allison Holker, Derek Hough, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Emma Slater and Karina Smirnoff.

Commenting on her return to the series, Hough said, “I’m so excited to be back with my Dancing with the Stars family again on a regular basis. I’ve always aspired to be an all-around entertainer, whether I’m acting, dancing or singing, and I’m thrilled for this opportunity that will allow me to continue all of those pursuits. Derek and I just finished our Move Live on Tour, which reminded me how much I miss the interaction with the dance fans that have been so supportive of me in my career. I am warming up the paddles and the sass, and I’m ready to have fun in this new role.”

“We are delighted to welcome Julianne back to the DWTS family,” added Executive Producer Rob Wade. “Her blend of ballroom dancing experience and unique judging ability make her the ideal choice for the show, and we are very excited to have her, Carrie Ann, Bruno and Len on board.”