Derek Hough will be returning to Dancing with the Stars' twentieth season as a pro dancer after previously confirming he wouldn't be a part of the cast. So now he's explaining what changed.
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During Tuesday's Good Morning America broadcast, viewers were surprised to learn Hough will be competing on the next edition of Dancing with the Stars, as he had announced in January he would be playing the male lead in New York Spring Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall instead.
But Hough, 29, apparently didn't choose Dancing with the Stars over Broadway. In fact, he'll get to have his cake and eat it too by participating in both gigs.
"Honestly, this literally all happened like two days ago... [Production] moved mountains and made this possible. So I'll be doing the show in New York and then flying back and forth to do [Dancing with the Stars] on Mondays and make it happen," Hough said on GMA.
The five-time mirror-ball trophy champion will be paired up with Nastia Liukin, who has won five Olympic medals and nine world medals. The duo will certainly be tough to beat.
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"She's going to school at NYU, and so it worked out perfectly. It was all very serendipitous. We'll practice here and at Radio City we'll be practicing," Hough explained.
Hough said it's "awesome" he can still be a part of Dancing with the Stars, and he believes it will be a very fun season.
"I honestly had a little heartbreak not being able to be a part of the tenth anniversary, the twentieth season. It's just a huge milestone for Dancing with the Stars. It's my family and I want to be a part of it. If I thought there was a glimmer of a chance to do it, I wanted to do it. And so, I'm so glad we made it happen and we're going to make it the best season ever!" he elaborated.
Liukin seemed thrilled about the opportunity to work with Hough.
"We're all about the gold trophy," she laughed, referring to the new specially-designed trophy for DWTS' tenth year on the air.
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"I mean, I couldn't have been paired with a better partner. I'm so excited and I've been a fan of the show and a huge fan of Derek and just his creativity and the choreography and all around as a whole."
While Liukin is extremely athletic and has a gymnastics background, she doesn't necessarily think that will provide her with an advantage in the reality dancing competition next season.
"I've never had a dance class in my entire life," the Olympian insisted on GMA. "I've never done any kind of dance, so he's in for a treat."
To find out which celebrities and pro partners will also be competing in Season 20, which premieres March 16 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC, click here.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski