Derek Hough is replacing head judge Len Goodman on Dancing with the Stars' 29th season.
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Derek will sit on the Dancing with the Stars' judging panel alongside returning judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
Derek's return to Dancing with the Stars after a four-year hiatus was announced during Tuesday's episode of Good Morning America.
"This show has been and will always be incredibly special to me. Coming back feels like coming home and I couldn't be more excited to be back in the ballroom," Derek said in a statement.
On GMA, Derek gushed about having "amazing memories" as well as "triumphs and failures" on Dancing with the Stars and so he's "so excited" to be a judge and "can't wait."
When asked to describe his judging style, Derek explained, "I can't hide my expressions. I'm very physical obviously. But I'll be fair and I'll be honest... I'll [also] be a fun judge. But more importantly, I want to try to inspire and motivate these celebrities to have the best possible time and get better each week."
Derek added, "They'll be going through what I've done through before. So I'll be understanding, and I'll be very empathic and compassionate as well."
Derek's participation isn't the only big change fans will notice about the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.
As previously announced, supermodel and former America's Got Talent and America's Next Top Model host Tyra Banks has joined Dancing with the Stars as its new host and executive producer because the show is embarking on "a new creative direction."
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While longtime host Tom Bergeron and co-host Erin Andrew were fired from Dancing with the Stars as a result, Len was not axed as part of this new creative direction.
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Len is unable to judge Dancing with the Stars this fall because he cannot travel back and forth from London to the United States every week due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to Us Weekly.
However, Len will still be a part of the ABC series in a different capacity, sharing his ballroom expertise from London.
Tyra teased Len -- who has been a part of Dancing with the Stars since 2005, although he took a break from Season 21 -- may not be returning to the DWTS ballroom last week.
"Carrie Ann is definitely back, and Bruno, who I can't wait to vibe with because he is just as crazy as I am," Tyra told Entertainment Tonight on Friday.
"At the moment, we're trying to figure out how to incorporate Len Goodman because he is in England, and there's all these travel restrictions because of COVID-19. So we're trying to figure that out."
Tyra also hinted at the time Derek would be added to the DWTS Season 29 mix "in a very interesting way."
"I am very excited about that because I know Derek and he's fun," Tyra said. "But you just gonna have to wait and see how he’s coming back."
Derek competed on 17 seasons of Dancing with the Stars, with his last appearance being on Season 23 of the show in 2016.
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Derek then signed on to judge World of Dance alongside Jennifer Lopez and Ne-Yo, which premiered its first season back in May 2017. (Derek continued with World of Dance for three additional seasons).
But Derek told Us in Summer 2017 that he wasn't necessarily done with his time on Dancing with the Stars.
"I will never say never," Derek said in August 2017.
"Listen, I'm an advocate for dance and I'm an advocate for entertaining. I'm an entertainer. I'm here to serve. I'm here to serve the audience and to create stories and to serve the world of dance. So any way I can help, I'll be happy to do it."
Dancing with the Stars' Season 29 cast is comprised of a whopping 15 celebrities.
The women who will be putting on their dancing shoes are CHEER head coach Monica Aldama, Tiger King star Carole Baskin, Season 11 The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe, TV and film actress Anne Heche, Disney Channel actress Skai Jackson, actress Justina Machado, The Real co-host and fashion correspondent Jeannie Mai, and Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause.
The men who will be taking the stage are former NFL football player Vernon Davis, Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, TV and film actor Jesse Metcalfe, rapper Nelly, former NBA basketball star Charles Oakley, Catfish creator and host Nev Schulman, and figure skater and Olympic medalist Johnny Weir.
Like last season, Dancing with the Stars viewers will have to tune in to the Season 29 premiere to find out the celebrity and professional pairings.
The returning professional partners for Dancing with the Stars next season are Brandon Armstrong, Alan Bersten, Sharna Burgess, Cheryl Burke, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko, and Emma Slater.
Two former Dancing with the Stars Troupe members, Britt Stewart and Daniella Karagach, will also be joining the lineup of professional partners for this fall's season as newbies.
Three married couples will be competing against each other on Season 29: Val and Jenna, Emma and Sasha, and Daniella and Pasha.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
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The new rule is an attempt to prevent two professional dancers -- and potentially their celebrity partners -- from getting sick if one person contracts COVID-19 during the season.
Dancing with the Stars will air on Monday nights this fall, with The Bachelorette moving to Tuesday nights at 8PM ET/PT for its sixteenth season starring Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
