Julianne Hough To Judge ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ Maksim Chmerkovskiy Out?
Reports indicate that Dancing With the Stars may be adding Julianne Hough as a judge this fall for season 19. Julianne Hough has reportedly been offered a deal, though the show has yet to confirm this. What about Maksim Chmerkovskiy? Many thought he would be taking on that role, and he had made it pretty clear that he was interested. For whatever reason, it looks like that’s not the direction the show decided to go.
The news came via TMZ, who says that Julianne Hough has been offered a deal to become the fourth judge on Dancing With the Stars this fall. Many had speculated that Len Goodman might leave prior to season 19, but it seems Len, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba are all sticking around. So, if the report is true, Julianne Hough’s judging spot would be an addition, rather than a replacement.
There had been buzz swirling for some time now that DWTS would be adding a new judge soon, and the show brought on a number of guest judges over the past couple of seasons. Both Julianne and Maksim Chmerkovskiy took spins behind the paddles, and both garnered mixed reviews. Until now, most would have imagined that Julianne wouldn’t necessarily have an interest in a regular spot, as she does have a number of other projects going on. However, it sounds as if the show may have offered her a deal too good to refuse.
What about Maksim? His fans, who are most certainly a passionate group, definitely expected an announcement indicating that Chmerkovskiy would be heading to the judge’s table. After Maks’ win with Meryl Davis he said he didn’t plan on dancing as a pro any longer, and he indicated he was indeed interested in judging. Why the show went with Julianne instead, if the deal does indeed come to fruition, hasn’t been revealed.
Of course there are those who are crying foul that Julianne may be a judge when her brother Derek Hough is returning for season 19. Others point out that if Maks were to be a judge, he’s got even more personal connections on the pro side than Julianne does. Maks’ brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, is returning, as is his long-time friend Tony Dovolani. Maks used to be engaged to Karina Smirnoff and dated Peta Murgatroyd, both of whom are returning as well, and the group has been doing a lot of work together in the show’s off-season this summer.
Interestingly, when TV Guide posted about the Julianne Hough judging report, the ABC Publicity Twitter page retweeted it. Some think that is a pretty solid sign that the TMZ report has merit. The gossip site does have a pretty solid track record when it comes to DWTS news, so it seems awfully likely there’s truth to this one. Now it seems that GMA will be making things official Thursday, and evidence seems to be building that Julianne Hough’s judge role is about to be made permanent.
What do you think of the reports of Julianne Hough as a judge on season 19 Dancing With the Stars? Do you think they should have found a role for Maksim Chmerkovskiy? Season 19 of DWTS premieres on ABC on Sept. 15.
[Image via Yahoo!]
