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‘Dancing With The Stars’ News: Derek And Julianne Hough, Maksim Chmerkovskiy Will All Return For Season 23

By Jason Fletcher
Published on: 11:48 PST, Aug 26, 2016

After missing out on Season 22, Derek Hough will return as a pro for Season 23 of Dancing With the Stars. Hough will be joined by his sister, Julianne, who will return for her third season as a judge after she also missed last season and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who will be returning as a pro for the first time since Season 18.

Derek has won six Mirrorball Trophies during his time on the show, including Season 21 when he teamed with Bindi Irwin to take home the title. Originally, Hough was going to have to miss the season due to his work on the Broadway production of Singin’ In the Rain, but it’s been pushed back until 2017.

“It frees me up to do some other things too, so it’s kind of fun,” Hough said. “Broadway’s one of my plans, it’s in my cards, it’s happening, but right now it’s leaving me open. Plans change a little bit, so now I have some time to create some fun opportunities, some fun things, including Hairspray.”

Speaking of Hairspray, Derek will begin rehearsals for Hairspray Live! for NBC on October 24. Hough will play Corny Collins in a remake of the 1988 John Waters film, according to E! News.

In an interview with E! News earlier in August, Derek had said that returning to Dancing With the Stars was certainly a possibility.

“I’m not one for closing chapters in that way, especially for something that’s so important to me, and that’s been like family for so many years,” Hough said. “So, for me in my mind, that door is always open, and we’ll see!”

Derek’s sister, Julianne, will also reprise her role as a judge for Season 23. It will be her third time serving in the role for the show. Hough originally debuted on the show as a pro, but she hasn’t danced on the show since Season 8 when she finished sixth with country singer Chuck Wicks. Ironically, Wicks and Hough developed a relationship due to the show, but it ended in November 2009 after a little more than a year.

“I promise it’s not the last you’ll see of me in the ballroom,” Hough also told PEOPLE when announcing she would miss last season. “I will miss being on the panel for season 22, but have a lot of exciting stuff coming that I look forward to sharing.”

Another familiar face will also be returning for Season 23 as Maksim Chmerkovskiy will serve as a pro. It will be his first appearance on the show since Season 18 as his fiancee, pro dancer and Dancing With the Stars member Peta Murgatroyd, will sit this season out due to the impending birth of the couple’s first child.

Maks and Derek will join Gleb Savchenko, Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Sharna Burgess, Lindsay Arnold, and Sasha Farber as confirmed pros for Season 23. According to Blasting News, So You Think You Can Dance alum Jenna Johnson is expected to debut as a pro. Mark Ballas is also expected to return for Season 23.

As for the celebrities, E! News is reporting that Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, model Amber Rose, singer-songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Little Women star Terra Jole, and Disney Channel alum Jake T. Austin have all been confirmed to be a part of Season 23. There have also been strong rumors that JoJo Fletcher from The Bachelorette will also be a celebrity dancer.

The rest of the pros and celebrities will be announced on August 30 on Good Morning America.

[Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

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