The two-time 'DWTS' champion who recently got married decides to skip the upcoming season of the ABC dancing competition.
- Sep 14, 2017
AceShowbiz - Julianne Hough ditched season 25 of "Dancing with the Stars". Meanwhile, her three fellow judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli are all confirmed to return to the ABC dancing competition.
"We are thrilled to have Len, Bruno and Carrie Ann back in the ballroom and look forward to welcoming guest judges wherever possible," a representative for the show said in a statement without mentioning Julianne's exit.
Julianne Hough, 29, first joined "DWTS" in 2007 during season 4. Paired with Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno, she won the Mirrorball trophy. Partnered with racing car driver Helio Castroneves, she took home the coveted prize again in the next season. She last appeared on the show as a contestant in 2011 during season 8.
Julianne first served as a "DWTS" judge on season 19. It's unclear whether or not the show will look for a new recruit to fill in the vacant spot left by Hough, but back on season 22 when she opted not to return, the show was back to its original three-judge format.
The female dancer is currently enjoying a wedding bliss with her new husband, NHL hockey player Brooks Laich. They married in July. She recently took part in a star-studded Hurricane Harvey telethon while her husband began his first day of training. "So excited for my love to start his first day of Camp with the @lakings," she wrote on Instagram.
The new season will kick off September 18. It will mark Mark Ballas' first return to the ballroom after he skipped the last two seasons to perform on Broadway and prepare for his wedding. He is partnered with violinist Lindsey Stirling for the next installment.
Season 25 also marks Cheryl Burke's return to the show after she left to pursue other projects including "Dance Moms" and "Love on the Floor" tour which is put on hold until 2018. She is paired with former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens for the new season.
The other contestants are Valentin Chmerkovskiy & former paralympic swimmer Victoria Arlen, Artem Chigvintsev & WWE wrestler Nikki Bella, Keo Motsepe & "Shark Tank" panelist Barbara Corcoran, Sharna Burgess & former NBA player Derek Fisher, Lindsay Arnold & singer/actor Jordan Fisher, Alan Bersten & siner/actress Debbie Gibson, Peta Murgatroyd & 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey, Maksim Chmerkovskiy & TV presenter Vanessa Minnillo, Witney Carson & actor/race car driver Frankie Muniz, Gleb Savchenko & actress Sasha Pieterse, and Emma Slater & "Property Brothers" co-host Drew Scott.
