Julianne Hough reveals which Dancing with the Stars champion she ‘strongly’ disagreed with

Former ‘DWTS’ judge turned co-host argued it was the winner’s fanbase that earned him the trophy

Julianne Hough has confessed which Dancing with the Stars win she most disagreed with.

The 36-year-old professional dancer and former DWTS judge, who returned as the show’s co-host last December, made the admission during a Sunday (August 18) appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen alongside fellow guest country singer-songwriter Mickey Guyton.

When host Cohen asked Hough if there was any DWTS victor she “strongly disagreed” with, Guyton interjected, saying: “I just said Bobby Bones.”

“I actually agree with you,” Hough said nodding. “And I think it’s because of the fan base. It’s all about fan base on that show. He was not the best dancer.”

The radio personality Bones, 44, competed in 2018 on season 27 of the popular ABC dancing reality series – an adaptation of the British series Strictly Come Dancing.

Bones and his partner, ballroom dancer Sharna Burgess, ended up winning the Mirror Ball Trophy, while actor Milo Manheim and Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch came in second and third respectively.

The DWTS judging panel rates competitors on their technical skills, musicality, choreography, performance and chemistry with their partner. A contestant’s final score, however, is ultimately determined by a combination of the judges’ ratings and fan votes.

Julianne Hough argued that a contestant’s fan base is one of the most important ways to win ‘Dancing with the Stars’ (Getty Images)

Hough made her DWTS debut in 2007 as a professional dancer, where she ended up winning back-to-back seasons with her celebrity partners Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Apolo Ohno (season four) and Brazilian auto racing driver Hélio Castroneves (season five).

The Safe Haven actor left the show in 2009 before returning in 2014 as a judge. She served as a judge until 2017 when she exited the series again. In 2023, she rejoined to co-host the show alongside actor and comedian Alfonso Ribeiro.

“The door has always been open for me to join or come back in any capacity because Dancing with the Stars is my family. It’s where I feel the most myself and the most at home,” Hough told Variety in 2023. “The door was never, ever closed. We’ve always talked about coming back in some sort of capacity.”

Hough and Ribeiro will, once again, serve as DWTS co-hosts for season 33, which debuts on September 17 on ABC at 8pm ET. The new season will welcome back judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Hough’s older brother, Derek Hough.

The season 33 cast has yet to be revealed, although David and Victoria Beckham, retired NFL star Jason Kelce and Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval are among the rumored contestants.