Julianne Hough has one celebrity she believes would be “amazing” in the Dancing With the Stars cast.
ABC recently confirmed Season 33, with the premiere date and cast yet to be revealed.
Celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners typically get unveiled a month before the season begins.
However, that hasn’t stopped fans from demanding specific dancers return to the show or calling out celebs they want to participate.
Julianne, a former DWTS pro dancer and judge, is now the show’s co-host alongside Alfonso Ribeiro.
While she may need to remain neutral once the competition begins, she said there’s one individual she’s “rooting for” to appear in an upcoming DWTS cast.
Julianne Hough reveals her ‘dream’ competitor for DWTS
While it seems that Julianne will return for DWTS Season 33, along with host Ribeiro and judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie-Ann Inaba, it’s unknown who else is in the cast.
However, People asked Julianne who her “dream” celebrity competitor would be to see on the dancefloor.
“I feel like Kelly Ripa would be an amazing person on the show because she’s a dancer, she’s vivacious. She would pick it up,” Julianne told the publication.
She also mentioned that Ripa “would have so much fun with it” and “wouldn’t take herself too seriously.”
“I’m rooting for Kelly to come on,” Julianne shared with People.
ABC viewers are highly familiar with Ripa, as she began hosting Live with Regis and Kelly in 2001 alongside Regis Philbin.
Kelly has remained a host on the show amid changing co-hosts, including Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest. She currently works with her husband, Mark Consuelos, as her co-host.
According to People’s report, Ripa participated in two dance shows in the 1980s: Dancing On Air and Dance Party USA. While that’s decades ago, it may mean she still has the necessary experience to learn and perfect dance moves.
Hough said she’s ‘lucky’ to work with DWTS castmate
DWTS viewers saw Julianne first appear as a professional dancer in Season 4, which she won alongside Olympic medal-winning speed skater Apolo Ohno. She followed it up with a Season 5 win as she and F1 racer Helio Castroneves won the Mirrorball.
Julianne appeared in the next three seasons with a fourth-place finish, her best. She then departed the show for several years to focus on her music career.
However, DWTS kept calling, and Julianne returned for other roles, including as a guest dancer and guest judge. In 2014, she became a permanent judge and held the position through 2017.
As of last year, ABC announced Julianne would become the show’s co-host, while Ribeiro would take over as host following Tyra Banks’ departure.
Julianne said she considers herself “lucky” to work with Ribeiro, calling him “such a good soul” and “good person.”
“He sets a really good tone for what the show should be. And so, me stepping in, our chemistry and our bond were already tight. But the support and the level of trust that we have with each other — it’s amazing. And he’s given him pointers, [and] I’ve given him pointers,” she shared with People.
The duo will likely return to form for Season 33, which should air on ABC and Disney+ in the fall.
Julianne and DWTS fans now anxiously await the upcoming cast reveal to see if Ripa is announced as one of the competitors, making Julianne’s dream come true.
Dancing With the Stars Season 33 is TBA for ABC and Disney+.