Julianne Hough's DWTS Transformation Has Heads Turning Ahead Of Season 34

Julianne Hough has come a long way from the fresh-faced teenager who first twirled onto the "Dancing with the Stars" stage in 2007. Back then, she was the curly-haired, bleached-blond newbie who danced straight into a win with speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, and then did it again the very next season with race car driver Hélio Castroneves. With Season 34 launching on September 16, Julianne, co-host Alfonso Ribeiro, and judges Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough spoke to our sister site TVLine for a pre-season chat. Naturally, talk turned to her transformation.

Derek, Julianne's brother and fellow "DWTS" alum, said he was thrilled to see her step into that spotlight again with her recent performance. In case you missed it, Julianne thrilled fans with a surprise performance to "Man in Finance" last season, which she also shared on Instagram. "I'm so glad she did that because some of the reactions from people have been like 'Oh my God, I didn't know she danced,'" Derek said. "Julianne was 18 years old when she joined 'Dancing with the Stars.' This little blonde girl from Utah. [...] In my opinion, [she] really raised the bar. We keep trying to raise the bar, but I really think [she] was a catalyst for that."

Julianne Hough's stunning style transformation often takes center stage in conversations about her — why wouldn't it when she's gorgeously rocked both long curls and a bob? — but co-host Ribeiro wanted it to be known that her work ethic has only intensified over the years. "One thing that I was told very early on: when Julianne dances, she [doesn't] know 80%. Rehearsals are 110% percent. Every. Dang. Time," he said. He even joked that he asks producers to let him learn his moves before she gets there so he's almost as good as her: "She dances at 100% every time, and it makes me have to step my game up."

During the interview, TVLine's editor-in-chief, Kimberly Roots, hit Julianne Hough with the one question "Dancing with the Stars" fans have been dying to know: "Is there a world in which you'd ever be a pro on the show again?" Julianne's answer was an amused "H*** no," perfectly matching co-host Alfonso Ribeiro's earlier response. "I love my job hosting. Would never give it to somebody else. Honestly, I will say that it is so fun to dance, but I love watching the dancers and the celebrities. I love watching them shine, and I think that's the season of life I'm in."

She also opened up about her transformation into her current role: "This show has been my family since I was 18, and I've played different roles. I was a dancer, I was a judge, and now I'm hosting with Alfonso." But Julianne's journey to her role as a host hasn't been all fun and games. "I remember, we were dancing, and ... I had a cyst burst, like live on television," the "Safe Haven" actor said. Julianne tried to tough it out, but ended up collapsing at the end and being rushed to the hospital.

This year's cast on "DWTS" will include Dylan Efron (Zac Efron's brother), conservationist Robert Irwin, Hilaria Baldwin (Alec Baldwin's wife), and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, who sadly landed on our list of the worst-dressed celebs in May 2025. We're right there with the hosts in counting down to the new season, and not just for the dancing. The style inspo is almost as fun. Julianne has already schooled us on how to achieve the popular wet hair look, so you better believe we'll be keeping an eye on her trendiness again this season.

Static Media owns and operates Glam and TVLine.