Derek Hough Reveals His ‘Dream’ Partner for ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Derek Hough may be a judge on Dancing With the Stars now, but the former pro just revealed his dream partner for the show.

While interviewing Kristen Bell for Nobody Wants This Season 2 for Extra, Hough couldn’t help but share that she is his dream partner.

The six-time Mirrorball champ admitted that when people have asked him in the past who his dream partner would be on DWTS, he said his number one choice was Bell “for a while.” Bell was surprised at it and revealed that she doesn’t have much coordination. “Do you know that I tip over all the time?” she said. Her Nobody Wants This co-star Adam Brody chimed in, wondering if the tipping would be a fun challenge, unless he wants someone who’s talented.

Bell hilariously suggested that Hough could just swing her back and forth like a mannequin. The two of them, plus Brody, continued to suggest some possible scenarios for how they could work around Bell’s tipping problem, but the Veronica Mars alum thinks she would need a lot of rehearsal for it to truly work. Hough was fine with the challenge, saying, “I will turn you from a tipper to a dipper.”

Whether or not Bell would ever actually take Hough up on his offer is unknown, but it would be entertaining. At the very least, perhaps the two of them could star in a project together that centers on dancing, which would be better than nothing. But it’s likely Hough’s dream partner will remain a dream, for now.

Meanwhile, Kristen Bell is pretty busy these days, maybe even too busy for Dancing With the Stars. The second season of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This premieres on Thursday. Upcoming, she will reprise the role of Anna in Frozen III, coming out in 2027. She will also star in Violet Night 2 alongside Maggie Nicole Robertson, David Harbour, and Jared Harris, releasing in theaters in December 2026.

As for Hough, he is once again part of the judges’ panel on DWTS for Season 34 alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. The series is about halfway through the season, and nine couples remain after Wicked Night on Tuesday. The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy is still anyone’s prize, and as of now, there’s no predicting who will eventually take it all. New episodes air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.