How Many Mirror Ball Trophies Has Derek Hough Won?
"Dancing With the Stars" is one of the biggest shows on television. The reality television dance competition series captivates fans as they watch celebrities try their hand at ballroom dancing. Each season offers a diverse cast, all of whom are paired up with a professional dancer in hopes of winning the coveted mirror ball trophy. After weekly eliminations, the pro dancers are just as excited to be crowned a champion as the stars are. One dancer who knows what it's like to take home the trophy is Derek Hough (via CheatSheet).
Although "Dancing With the Stars" viewers currently know Hough as the fourth judge on the show's panel, he made a name for himself as the breakout star of the series as a pro. Although his days as a dancer on the show are done for now, Hough said he absolutely loves being one of the judges and giving his feedback to the contestants and other pros alike.
In fact, Hough admitted before Season 30 that his biggest concern about being on the judges' panel was not having enough time to share his thoughts. "I'm a little concerned about how much time we'll have to talk," he said (via ABC7). "Only because I already started with that last season, because I have so much to say, and I have so many notes, let's go through the list, but it's live television so we just have to keep it concise."
With all of that dance knowledge, exactly how many times has Hough won "Dancing With the Stars?"
Derek Hough has won DWTS more than any other dancer
According to CheatSheet, Derek Hough has appeared on 16 seasons of "Dancing With the Stars" as one of the professional dancers. During his time on the show he was partnered with stars such as Shannon Elizabeth, Joanna Krupa, Maria Menounos, Nastia Liukin, Amy Purdy, Marlu Henner, and many more. Over the years, Derek has seen great success with those partners and has even won the mirror ball trophy an impressive six times with partners such as Brooke Burke, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey, Kellie Pickler, Amber Riley, and Bindi Irwin.
Derek's six wins are all the more impressive due to the fact that no other professional dancers has won more than two trophies, making him the winningest pro in the history of the show. Behind Derek are his own sister, Julianne Hough, as well as other dancers Cheryl Burke, Mark Ballas, Val Chmerkovskiy, Kym Johnson Herjavec, and Peta Murgatroyd, who all have two wins under their belts.
During an appearance on the "Whine Down" podcast in September, Hough admitted that his early years on the show were a struggle. "I was nervous, and I was uncertain. I was kind of faking it, to be honest with you," he admitted (via Hello!).
Meanwhile, Hough hasn't ruled out returning to try and win a seventh trophy. "When Tom Brady won a seventh Super Bowl, I was like, 'Oh no, do I need to go for seven here?'" he previously told Us Weekly.