Derek Hough Teases Taylor and Tay Lautner ‘Might Actually Happen’ on ‘DWTS’

Derek Hough is weighing in on whether Taylor and Tay Lautner could be heading to the ballroom for season 34 of Dancing With the Stars.

“I’m bored,” Hough, 40, wrote in a Saturday, May 31, TikTok. “Cast someone I’d have no choice but to go from judge back to pro again for. Make it realistic but also go big. Don’t hold back. DWTS casting team is listening.”

Social media users quickly took to the comments section to suggest possible contestants, including Taylor Swift (Hough replied, “OK twist my arm”), Britney Spears (He wrote, “Ultimate”), Sabrina Carpenter (He claimed, “We used to work out together”) — or the Lautners.

“Taylor Lautner himself or his wife Tay,” one user wrote, to which Hough replied, “This might actually happen.”

@derekhough

? @Dancing with the Stars DWTS

♬ Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64, Act 1: Dance of the Knights – André Previn

Tay, 28, has been vocal about her desire to compete on the show, sharing in a January 2024 episode of her and Taylor’s “The Squeeze” podcast that being cast “would be really fun.” Taylor, 33, chimed in to add that being on DWTS is his wife’s “dream.”

Hough, for his part, won six Mirrorball Trophies during his time on DWTS before exiting from the ABC reality dancing competition in 2016. He returned four years later as a judge. Hough is expected to return as a judge for season 34 of DWTS, which is set to premiere in the fall.

While the full cast — and returning pros — have yet to be announced, ABC revealed in April that Robert Irwin had been slated as the first celebrity contestant. The next month, Robert, 21, exclusively told Us Weekly that he would be seeking the advice and support of sister Bindi Irwin while appearing on DWTS. (Bindi, 26, won with Hough in 2015.)

“I remember watching [her] on that show just thinking, ‘This is the coolest thing ever,’” Robert told Us.

In May, influencer Alix Earle was announced as the second star competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.

“This is so surreal,” Earle, 24, said while appearing on Good Morning America at the time. “I mean, I’ve always been a fan of Dancing With the Stars. I used to watch it when I was so young with my grandma … I was so in love with dance. When this opportunity came to me, it was like, ‘What can I do next? Where can I take this?’ I mean, I’m ready to challenge myself, I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun. It was a very obvious answer to say yes.”

When asked whether she has a partner in mind, Earle noted that she’s open to any of the pros.

“I would be grateful to be with anyone,” she said. “I think they’re all so talented. I’m looking for a partner who’s gonna be a good time, a good friend and really push me to be my best.”