Fan Favorite Judge Julianne Hough to Return to ‘DWTS’

Dancing With the Stars fans, rejoice! Fan favorite judge Julianne Hough, who has not appeared on season 25 following her summer wedding and various projects, will be returning next Monday, Nov. 20 as a guest judge.

The 29-year-old two-time professional DWTS champion took to Instagram to announce her surprise return to the dancing competition, teasing a special announcement.

“Where my #DWTS fans at?! Get ready…We’re getting the band back together again!” she wrote alongside a photo of her with the rest of the judges. “I’m coming back as a guest judge NEXT Monday, and I have a very meaningful surprise in store! You won’t want to miss this!”

While fans will have to wait until Nov. 20 to discover what “surprise” Hough is teasing, many of her gleeful Instagram followers speculated about it in the comments. Some think she may be returning next season to her position as a full-time judge, while others think she might return to competition as a pro dancer. Still others think her announcement might be more personal than professional, perhaps hinting at a pregnancy.

“Yayyy!!! I️ hope you have time to come back for next season!!!!” someone wrote.

“She’s going to be a pro on the next season of dancing with the stars?!” one excited person wrote. “That would be so cool.”

“You’re pregnant?!?!” someone asked.

“I’ve sooooo missed you and Derek this season!! It’s just not the same without y’all!” another said.

Hough’s brother, Derek, is a six-time professional champion on the show, having left following his mirrorball trophy win with Bindi Irwin on season 21. Fans looking for a Derek return will have to hold out for a bit longer, however. He told BUILD Series that he has “no plans” to return to the dance competition that made him a household name, citing his busy schedule and his work on a different dance show: World of Dance.

He sat as a judge next to Ne-Yo and Jennifer Lopez, with Jenna Dewan Tatum hosting. The show ran last summer, averaging 7.7 million viewers, and will return in January with 13 two-hour episodes.

As for his younger sister, 32-year-old Derek says that Hugh is enjoying newlywed life with husband Derek Laich.

“She’s amazing, she’s happy and incredible,” he told Us Weekly. “I love him so much, he’s an amazing guy to have as a brother.”

Derek also said it’s doubtful Hugh will be announcing a pregnancy any time soon, so fans hoping for baby news during Nov. 20’s DWTS episode will have to shelve their excitement.

When asked if Hough and Laich will start a family soon, Derek replied, “Oh I don’t know! You’ll have to ask them. I don’t think so!”