Derek Hough Says Being a Dad Is the ‘Pinnacle’ of Life as “DWTS” Prepares for New Season (Exclusive)
Derek Hough Says Being a Dad Is the ‘Pinnacle’ of Life as “DWTS” Prepares for New Season (Exclusive)
Georgia Slater, Deirdre DurkanTue, April 28, 2026 at 5:14 PM UTC
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Derek Hough attends The Walt Disney Company's Emmy Season Toast to TV at Soho House Holloway on April 27, 2026 in West Hollywood, California.Credit: Brianna Bryson/WireImage -
Derek Hough says becoming a dad to daughter Everley is the "pinnacle" of his life and career
Hough and wife Hayley Erbert recently celebrated Everley’s first Easter with sweet family photos shared on Instagram
The couple welcomed their baby girl in December and shared the news with a heartfelt Instagram post
Derek Hough is loving every moment as a new dad.
On Monday, April 27, the Dancing with the Stars judge, 40, caught up with PEOPLE at Disney’s Toast to Television Red Carpet at Soho House Holloway in West Hollywood, Calif., where he raved that dad life is "the best."
"Being a dad is the—you know, being in the industry, you wanna do great in your career and be at the top of the game and do this, achieve this, but being a dad now, that’s the pinnacle," says Hough, who welcomed his baby girl Everley with wife Hayley Erbert Hough in December. "That’s the top. Everything else is just a bonus, you know what I mean? That is the echelon right there."
Hough also shared his thoughts on his little one eventually following in his footsteps as a dancer.
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Hayley Erbert Hough, Derek Hough and their daughter Everley.Credit: Hayley Erbert/Instagram
"Dance is so good for anybody, even if they don’t want to become a dancer—for discipline, for community, for awareness of your body, for control. I recommend it to every single human being on this planet," he says.
Earlier this month, Hough and Erbert Hough, 31, shared pictures from their family of three's first Easter celebration together on Instagram. In the snaps, they held onto their little girl, Everley, 3 months, as they posed together near a pond.
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"Everley’s first Easter 🐣🐰💛," Erbert Hough wrote in the caption.
Hayley Erbert, Derek Hough and daughter Everley.Credit: Hayley Erbert/Instagram
The happy couple welcomed their baby girl back in December, sharing the exciting news with a joint post on Instagram. In the post, the couple shared a first look at their newborn with a black-and-white snap of their hands cupped around their baby's feet.
"December 29, 2025 Everley Capri Hough 🤍," the couple wrote in their caption. "Every step of our lives has led us to you. Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed."
Ahead of their newborn's arrival, Hough opened up about his excitement for fatherhood on the Jennifer Hudson Show. While chatting with host Jennifer Hudson, he revealed that he sometimes forgets about the big milestone and is reminded of his excitement all over again.
"Sometimes I like I forget, right? I'm doing things, and I just glance over there and I see her bump, [and] I'm like, 'Whoa.' I'm like, 'I'm gonna be a dad,' " he said. "I cannot wait. I cannot wait."
Hough went on to talk about the first time he felt the baby kick, adding that he would get "emotional just thinking about it."
"I felt the baby kick for the first time, and it was that feeling that everybody talks about and describes, where all of a sudden everything became vivid and different," he explained. "And I'm like, 'Whoa, I'm going to be something that I've never [been.] I'm going to feel something I've never experienced before yet.' And, I just can't wait. I can't wait."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
