Exclusive: Julianne Hough Reveals Her Feelings on Returning to ‘DWTS’

Dancing With the Stars will forever be home for Julianne Hough, who first got her start in Hollywood as the youngest pro to take home the mirrorball trophy on the ABC dance competition more than a decade ago.

But now 29, the dancer has branched out creatively beyond the ballroom, starring in films such as Safe Haven, and releasing music such as “That Song in My Head.” Hough has returned as a guest judge in recent seasons of DWTS, but as she tells PopCulture.com exclusively, she doesn’t have any concrete plans to return to the series anytime soon.

“Dancing With the Stars has been an incredible platform and home for me, and it’s where I began,” she told PopCulture.com. “I feel like I’m in a different chapter of my life.”

That being said, “It’s my family, so if they want me to do a guest spot or dance … sure why not!” Hough added.

Hough recently wrapped filming for a movie she said should be released sometime in 2018, she told PopCulture.com, and is also concentrating on getting back to her music, developing more of what her sound is at this point in her life.

She’s also working on giving back alongside husband Brooks Laich, partnering their charitable organization, Love United, with the sports drink company Propel Electrolyte Water to raise money for clean water wells to in Africa.

“We wanted to do something mission-led, something to give back,” Laich told PopCulture.com exclusively.

“Love United is about uniting the world community,” he added. “Propel, which is how Gatorade does water, is about uniting the fitness community through proper hydration and our first mission through Love United is about bringing clean drinking water to an underserved nation. It was just a natural fit for Jules and I to team up with them and we are so excited that they are donating a portion of proceeds from their Co:Labs Fitness Festivals this summer to Love United.”

You can help support Love United and have the opportunity to work out with Hough and one of her favorite trainers, Simone de la Rue, in Los Angeles this May. More information is available here.

This sounds like a lot of plates to keep spinning at once, but Laich told PopCulture.com that their passion for creation that keeps them going.

“It’s just a curiosity of being in such a powerful position to wake up and say, ‘What do I want to create today?’” he said. “How lucky are we to be able to lead creative lives.”

Photo credit: Instagram/Julianne Hough