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Julianne Hough breaks silence on 'weird' comment she made during 'DWTS' Season 34 premiere

The 'DWTS' host confessed that she may have had some goof-ups, including one comment she felt was a little bit 'weird'

'Dancing with the Stars' is back with a bang, and during the grand premiere of Season 34, fans witnessed some incredible performances. Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro began the episode, which aired on September 16, along with 14 celebrity contestants and their pro dance partners, who didn't leave any stone unturned to impress judges Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough with their first live performance. Like all live shows, this one also had a few minor setbacks, like judge Carrie Ann Inaba skipping the premiere episode of 'DWTS' Season 34 at the last minute due to an illness. 

On the other hand, Hough also confessed that she may have had some goof-ups, including one comment she felt was a little bit 'weird'. During a commercial break, Hough took to her Instagram Stories to make fun of herself after she was asked to intercept a message by the producers while talking live on air. In the video, Hough pointed at her hidden earpiece and said, “Okay, so, I just got off air. Was it weird that I said I had a thing come through my ear?” 

Later on, Hough explained to her followers how an earpiece works and stated that hosting a live gig can be a bit complicated. “I’ve got an earpiece in and I have people talking in my ear while I’m trying to ask a question, while I’m trying to read the teleprompter, while I’m trying to remember questions, while I’m trying to stay live, tippy toes on my toes!” Hough shared, as per Parade magazine.  It's pretty evident that hosting a show while getting feedback from the producers continuously in your earpiece is not a piece of cake, but Hough can't be more excited to take over the show with Ribeiro once again.

During an April 2025 interview with TV Insider, Hough gushed over her co-host Ribeiro and went on to say, “I will say I love working with Alfonso. Not many hosts on TV shows get to host, perform, and interact with the competitors the way we get to. I feel like Alfonso and I are a winning duo.” Elsewhere in the interview, Hough reflected on her journey on 'Dancing with the Stars' from being a pro dancer to a host.

Hough said, “I came from being on the show as dancer to a judge to a host, [but] I miss being on the dance floor. Last season was just so joyful and fun. I pitched to the producers if there was any way we could do a fake-out [where I’d take off an outer layer and reveal a dance outfit]. They were like, ‘We love this idea!’ I talked to Val. We created the dance. It was fun!” When Hough was asked about her hosting gig as well as the times when she competed on the beloved dance show as a pro dancer, she explained, "I don’t know how I could do both. Maybe that just means more dance [performances for me]." Season 34 of 'DWTS' airs every Tuesday at 8 pm ET on ABC.