Derek Hough came onto Dancing with the Stars as a judge in Season 29, replacing Len Goodman during the lockdown, and then Derek stayed on as a fourth judge in Season 30.
While he seemed to have fit in comfortably at the judge’s table, offering a lot more optimistic takes on the dancers, there is one area that makes him very uncomfortable about the job.
Hough revealed to Us Weekly one thing that really bothers him about the job.
Derek Hough talks costuming on Dancing with the Stars
Derek Hough said that one of the most uncomfortable things about working as a judge on Dancing with the Stars is the outfits that the judges are given to wear.
Its not the designs, which Derek likes, it is the fact that they don’t always fit right.
“The only regret that I really have is when something doesn’t have that flexible fabric. Because you try something on and you tailor it so it fits like a glove — and then you sit down. Everything just squeezes a little tight, especially in the pants, and it gets really uncomfortable,” Derek told Us Weekly.
Derek then revealed some information that might change how you see him when he is sitting at the judge’s table.
“I find myself sometimes having to unbutton the top button while I’m sitting there,” he said. “There’s been a few times where it was cutting off the circulation to my brain. That’s the only time I’ve ever regretted wearing something, when it inhibited my blood circulation.”
“I also find myself talking a little bit faster to try and get the words out because I have no breath.”
Derek admits this is different from when he was a dancer
Derek Hough said the tight clothing he wears as a judge is very different to when he was a dancer.
Dancers costumes come in flexible fabrics because Derek said there was no way they could do jumps and kicks in tight fabric.
He also said that even clothing that looks like it wouldn’t be flexible really is.
“People always ask, ‘How do you dance in jeans?’ I’m like, well, they’re not just normal jeans. They’re stretchy jeans and they’re super comfortable,” Derek said.
He revealed that, for the dancers, it is mostly about comfortability and then has a splash of color for the design.
Dancing with the Stars is on hiatus. The dancing reality competition series will return to ABC in later 2022.