‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judge Derek Hough Talks Fans’ Disappointment at Eliminations (Exclusive)

Dancing With the Stars‘ judge Derek Hough doesn’t take it to heart when fans say they’ll be boycotting the show after their favorite celebrity gets sent packing. The professional dancer told PopCulture.com ahead of Monday’s all-new episode of the ABC competition show that it’s “really a positive thing” when the fans get so invested in what’s going on in the ballroom. 

“It’s funny when people say that — they say, ‘I’m not watching the show now because so and so went home,” Hough said. “Honestly, it doesn’t bother me when people say that, because it’s because they care. They’re rooting for these people, they’re getting invested, and I think that’s a really positive thing.” Hough knows it’s a “bummer” when a star you’re rooting for goes home early, admitting he thought Spice Girls star Mel C went home “too soon” after her Grease Night elimination.

“She’s just pop culture legend, and so I was really bummed … to see her go,” he told PopCulture. “Man, she definitely went home too soon for sure, because she was super talented and super kind and just awesome. So yeah, that was a bummer. That was a bummer one for me, but I was really looking forward to her when she joined the season.”

On the other hand, Olivia Jade Giannulli has been surprising Hough with her technique after he initially didn’t pay her much mind on the cast list. The YouTuber, as well as NBA player Iman Shumpert and country singer Jimmie Allen, have particularly surprised Hough in Season 30, with the judge singling out Shumpert’s Us-inspired dance with pro partner Daniella Karagach as a potential game-changer for the pair.

“They’re really making these memorable moments, which is something I always talk about,” he said. “It’s not necessarily about being the best, but it’s about being the most memorable. It’s about what are people going to remember? What are they going to go back and watch over and over again? You know what I mean? Technique gets you to a certain point, but it doesn’t get you the win.”

Hough is going for a different kind of win in the kitchen with his Eggceptional Holiday Recipe Remakes through his partnership with America’s egg farmers and the American Egg Board. “For me, it’s about how do we update these old recipes that we know and we love? How do we kind of push it a little bit?” he told PopCulture. “And I think we’ve all been cooking a lot [these] past couple years, so I think it’s fun for us to share with each other.” 

Spending time in the kitchen with his girlfriend Hayley Erbert, Hough joked that it’s Erbert who takes point. “If I’m stunting in the kitchen, I’m dancing – that’s what I’m doing,” he said. “So my girl, she’s cooking and I’m in the back just being a distraction, dancing around her. That’s pretty much my role.” Hough invites you to share your own holiday recipes by tagging him or @incredibleegg in your creations and using #EggceptionalHolidays.