Julianne Hough Reveals Her Surprising Answer to theDancing with the StarsWinner She 'Strongly Disagreed' With

Mar. 15, 2025

Julianne Hough.Photo:Frazer Harrison/Getty

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Julianne Houghknows that not all mirrorball trophy winners win based on skill.

On Sunday, Aug. 18, theDancing with the Starshost, 36, shared a candid admission about a celebrity winner she “strongly disagreed” with while answering a viewer question onWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

She explained, “It’s all about fan base on that show. He was not the best dancer.”

Boneswon the mirrorball trophyin 2018 alongsideDWTSproSharna Burgess. Despite receiving low scores from judges, he cinched the title through fan votes.Milo Manheimplaced second withEvanna Lynchin third andAlexis Rencoming in fourth.

“Thank you to the people, thank you to Sharna for making all this possible,” Bones said of his win before then-co-hostTom Bergeronadded, “You are, in very true words, the people’s champion my friend."

Shortly after winning the trophy, the radio show host, 44, jokingly told PEOPLE of his plans to hang up his dancing shoes once andaddressed the criticismhe received from his performances.

“I’m never dancing again,” he said at the time. “I have retired from dancing. The dancing thing was crazy because I went into it not knowing how hard it actually was. Being around the pros and actually seeing them do their thing, they’re professional athletes.”

“The people on the internet that loved that show were brutal to me,” he explained. “If people love dance, you didn’t love me on that show. If people love people going on and trying something new and putting their heart on their sleeve and being uncomfortable, then I think that’s who I was able to connect with. No one who was a ballroom fan was ever going to like me.”

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Earlier this month, PEOPLE exclusively confirmed that Hough andAlfonso Ribeirowould be resuming their duties as co-hosts for the hit competitive dance show’s upcoming 33rd season.

In addition to Hough and Ribeiro, judgesCarrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli andDerek Houghwill return to their seat the judging panel.

ABC will announce the celebrity dancers competing in the season 33 cast at a later date.

source: people.com