There Was One Partner Derek Hough Didn't Get Along With On DWTS
Derek Hough is one of the most popular choreographers on "Dancing With the Stars." The pro dancer turned judge competed on the celebrity ballroom show from 2007 to 2016 and won a record-breaking six mirrorball trophies during his long reign as a pro. He even returned as a guest judge in 2020, so it's safe to say Hough's place in "DWTS" history is secure.
Hough's celebrity partners have included reality stars, Olympians, talk show hosts, and an "American Idol" country crooner (That'd be Kellie Picker). The Emmy-winning choreographer's six mirrorball trophy wins were with Pickler, Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger, TV hosts Bindi Irwin and Brooke Burke, and actors Amber Riley and Jennifer Grey.
Hough's many "DWTS" partnerships made for many hours of rehearsals over 11 years — and plenty of behind-the-scenes moments that were captured on-camera as he taught his partners how to waltz, foxtrot, and (hopefully) dance their way to the winner's circle. But while Hough's partnerships looked good on the live shows, there was one celeb with whom he butted heads — and viewers saw it all play out on TV. Keep reading.
Derek Hough may watch 'Dirty Dancing' differently today
At age 50, "Dirty Dancing" star Jennifer Grey was one of the oldest female competitors on season 11 of "Dancing with the Stars." (Okay, "Brady Bunch" mom Florence Henderson was also a contestant that season, and she was in her mid-70s at the time).
While Grey and pro partner Derek Hough appeared to be a solid pairing on the live shows, behind the scenes there were some fireworks. One intro package showed a frustrated Grey storming out of the rehearsal studio after arguing with Hough over his choreography and how he was speaking to her. "I rarely, rarely, rarely lose my temper or anything like that," Hough said at the time, per People. "I've seen this one lose hers before — scary!"
However, Grey maintained that the stressful, filmed rehearsals made her feel like the two were "caged animals." The "Dirty Dancing" star also said she was "sensitive" and chalked off her tiff with her pro partner as "not a big deal." It was the one time viewers saw even Hough kind of lose his cool, but the two did eventually get it together enough to score him another mirrorball trophy to add to his collection.
Derek Hough had an even worse incident with another partner
While Jennifer Grey may have been the one partner he didn't always get along with, Derek Hough suffered a much worse incident with a partner that he did get along with. During his first season on "Dancing With the Stars" back in 2007, Hough did the unthinkable: He dropped his partner during the live show. And she was a Hollywood darling, to boot!
"In my very first season, my second dance, this is when I'm like, 'This is my chance. I'm going to show what I got. This is my first time on TV doing this,'" Hough recalled to Us Weekly. "And I dropped my partner, Jennie Garth, on live television." Hough said that after he dropped the "Beverly Hills 90210" alum and fell on live television, he resolved that he got the "worst thing" over with and that he and Garth would only go up from there.
They did, by the way. The couple landed in fourth place that season (not bad for a freshman "DWTS" pro) and were ultimately beat out by Hough's sister, Julianne, and her partner, race car driver Helio Castroneves, for the Season 5 mirrorball trophy.