Derek Hough Reacts to Sister Julianne's New 'Dancing With the Stars' Hosting Role (Exclusive)

Dancing With the Stars is once again a family affair! This week, ABC announced that Julianne Hough is replacing Tyra Banks as co-host for the upcoming 32nd season -- where her brother, Derek Hough, is returning as a judge. 

"You know, it makes sense," Derek told ET's Nischelle Turner at the premiere of John Wick Chapter 4 on Monday. "I mean Julianne is an alum, you know. She's won the show twice. She's a part of the family, you know what I mean? And so when I heard the news too, I was like, 'That makes sense.'"

He added, "I've known for like a few days, but it still was relatively new to me and I was like, 'That's perfect."

Julianne -- who will co-host alongside former DWTS champion, Alfonso Ribeiro -- did turn to her big brother when it came to making the decision to come back to the show. Ultimately, he knew she would make the right choice.

"There was a little bit of like, 'What do you think about this?' And I was like, 'Honestly, it sounds great. It sounds perfect,'" Derek told ET. "It feels right. It feels natural and I'm really excited. [I'm] really, really excited to see her and Alfonso do their thing and their chemistry and their energy. I mean, they could probably do a full dance routine together."

He quipped, "Let's be real. It's Alfonso and Julianne, you know they're going to be doing something."

Derek, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli are the DWTS judges this season, following the retirement of Lynn Goodman. Although the veteran judge will be missed, Derek shared that it allows for some special guests and wiggle room at the judges' table. 

"I think we're at three judges, we're back to that," he said. "Which is great because I think it allows us to have guest judges if we want, if we need. But when you have four, we did it last season with Michael Bublé, it was pretty crowded up there. But it was awesome, but it was crowded."

Derek noted, "You know honestly, I don't blame anybody who would want to sit at the judges' table. It's a pretty great job. I'm not going to lie, it's a wonderful job. I'm very honored to be in that position and as of now, I believe we're sticking with three -- but who knows."

And speaking of a family affair, in addition to Julianne returning to DWTS, Derek's fiancée, Haley Erbert, makes her return to the ballroom, with the two hitting the road together.

"Listen, we're going to be on tour," Derek said about his and Hayley's plans. "We're going to be hitting all of the country, hitting every city, coming to your cities and I'll be bouncing back and forth."

Dancing With the Stars season 32 will air this fall on Disney+, while Derek Hough's A Symphony Of Dance Tour also kicks off in the fall.

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