Derek Hough Shares Top Advice for DWTS' Season 35 Contestants

Jun 08, 2026 - 22:14

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Derek Hough Shares Top Advice for DWTS' Season 35 Contestants

Derek Hough Reveals His "Massive" Personal Gift for Hayley Erbert on Mother's Day

Derek Hough wants these celebs to leave it all on the dancefloor.

As Dancing With the Stars' season 35 cast continues to come together one celebrity reveal at a time, the longtime pro-turned-judge shared one very important piece of advice for the likes of Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins and Jackson Olson as they dust off their dance shoes and prepare to compete for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.

"You better get ready to work. That's it," Hough exclusively told E! News June 7 at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his new movie The Symphony of Dance in New York City. "I mean that jokingly, but also seriously."

However, the 41-year-old has no concerns that the three previously announced celeb contenders aren't willing to shed blood, sweat and tears as they begin training for the ABC reality competition series' upcoming season.

"That's who we're casting now: People who are in it to win it," Hough noted, "who want the full process, who want the full experience. So, be prepared."

And while winning is nice and all, Hough reminded the stars that the ballroom journey is about much more than prize money and bragging rights.

"It's the most fulfilling experience you'll ever have," he advised, "if you really put your everything into it."

But with the DWTS premiere still several months away, Hough is staying plenty busy promoting his latest passion project, his and wife Hayley Erbert's deeply personal documentary The Symphony of Dance. The intimate film follows the couple's 2023 tour amid Erbert's life-threatening health scare and recovery from a cranial hematoma.

Though, according to Erbert, they didn't initially set out to tell such a personal story.

Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival/Michael Loccisano

"We never intended on filming a documentary," the 31-year-old—who welcomed daughter Everley, 5 months, with Hough in December—told E! of the project. "It was actually [director] Jason Bergh who approached him and he was like, 'Hey, I just want to come shoot your first rehearsal.’ Then it turned into, 'We also want to shoot you going to this doctor's appointment and this rehearsal and this.’ It just turned into a story. It felt really authentic, and that was why it felt like the right time."

Remaining "raw" was key to the couple's creative process, as Hough explained they didn't want the film to "feel produced."

"It doesn't feel like we created something that was inauthentic," he added, "and if we could share this with somebody, and maybe one person gets a little bit of hope from it or a little bit encouragement or sees some inspiration in this, then beautiful."

While fans wait for more cast reveals, keep reading for fascinating secrets behind DWTS.

ABC/Paula Lobo

How Much Do the Celebrities Get Paid to Be on Dancing With the Stars?

Citing multiple sources, Variety reported in 2019 that Dancing With the Stars contestants make $125,000 for the rehearsal period and first two weeks of the show. If they progress beyond that point, the outlet continued, they earn more money each week. At the time, sources told the publication stars could earn a maximum of $295,000.

However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.

"That show pays OK," the radio personality said on a Sept. 2025 episode of Jason Tartick's podcast Trading Secrets. "Like, first episode, no money. Second episode, $10,000. I think it's like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000. It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last."

Also receiving a base salary of around $110,000, Bones continued, "I ended up making close to $400,000 from that show."

ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.

Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images

What Do the Pros Get Paid on Dancing With the Stars?

Similarly, little has been shared publicly about how much the pros get paid. But as with the contestants, it seems like the longer they're on the show, the more money they can make.

But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they're not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.

"You're guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks," Jenna Johnson said on a June 2025 episode of Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester's podcast The Morning After. "I think there's different contracts though. I can't speak for everybody."

Disney/Eric McCandless

Do Pros Get Paid More If They Win Dancing With the Stars?

Apparently not.

While Johnson—who won season 26 with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, as well as season 33 with The Bachelor's Joey Graziadei—says the pros don't get a larger paycheck if they take home what is now called the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, she noted there's still an incentive to make it to the finale (besides bragging rights, of course).

"If you make it all the way to the end, you're getting paid the whole season, which is amazing, and you get a bonus on top of that for making it to the finale," she explained on The Morning After. "If you win, it's not like you win a $1 million and split it with your partner. You're just getting a cute trophy together."

Instagram / Dancing With the Stars

Do the Troupe Members Get Paid as Much as the Pros on Dancing With the Stars?

That doesn't appear to be the case.

On a 2022 episode of Trading Secrets, Lindsay Arnold recalled how her salary was cut "more than in half" when she was demoted from pro to troupe member.

Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images

How Are Pros and Celebrities Paired Together on Dancing With the Stars?

The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.

"You get no say," Lindsay said on a May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers' Hot Smart Rich podcast. "It's very much just, 'Here's your partner. Make it work.'"

In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.

"They really want to keep it a secret until you meet them live," Jenna said on The Morning After. "They want that genuine reaction. So I think people always think we know who we have and we're keeping it a secret. Absolutely not. They do not tell us. They really don't even want us to know the cast. It gets leaked a lot, but they want it very hush-hush until you walk in and meet your partner."

As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?

"It's based on height, build and personality and compatibility," former showrunner Rob Wade told E! News in 2015. "We don't pair people who aren't going to get on. It's too intense. It's not like The Bachelor or something, we couldn't do that. That would just be miserable experience for the celebrity, for us and the viewer. You don't want to see two people who don't like each other and, quite frankly, we have made that mistake pairing people up who didn't get on so well."

Disney/Eric McCandless

How Often Do the Pros and Celebrities Practice on Dancing With the Stars?

Put simply, a lot.

"Every day we have four-hour rehearsals," Rylee Arnold, who was partnered with Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik on season 33, shared on a September 2024 episode of the Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis. "It’s either 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m."

But the work doesn't stop once the rehearsal wraps. Rylee noted she might then meet with producers or the creative team, work on choreography or study dance videos.

"Literally my whole life is devoted to it," she continued, "but it's my passion and it's what I love. So, it makes me so happy."

Indeed, it's a no-days-off kind of gig.

"We have our show day on Tuesday and then it's Wednesday to Sunday, straight rehearsals," Rylee added. "And then Monday we have camera blocking and then Tuesday's show day again."

Instagram / Emma Slater

Do the Pros Get to Pick the Songs Each Week for Their Dance With Their Celebrity Partner?

"Mostly yes," Emma Slater and Britt Stewart revealed in a September 2025 Instagram video, "though it's a collaboration with producers."

Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images

What's the Process Like for Making the Costumes for Dancing With the Stars?

If you thought the quickstep was fast, just wait until you hear about the pace of the costume department.

"We meet with the set and lighting designers, dancers and talent and create a story [for each pair]," costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner told TV Insider back in 2017. "Then we sketch out ideas. We have five days, max, to make all the outfits. That’s half a day per costume, not including all the rhinestones. The fitting and trimming we do later. We have about 20 people in our department and then we have a separate tailor shop. It’s a big enterprise."

In fact, costume designer Steven Norman Lee said pairs usually try on their costumes for the first time just hours before showtime. And while the department "might use a pair of pants again for the boys," he continued, everything is generally made custom each week.

As Gschwendtner added, "We do reuse things for group numbers or promo shoots, but not for the competition. We don’t reuse things unless there’s a specific reason to do so. We try to keep everybody fresh and new in something different every week, so it stays interesting."

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