‘DWTS’ Champ Derek Hough Admits He’s Ready For Babies With Girlfriend Hayley Erbert

Derek Hough isn’t quite ready for marriage, but fatherhood could be another story. In a new interview with Life & Style, the 34-year-old pro dancer and World of Dance judge revealed that he is more excited to have a child than to get married.

“You know, it’s weird, actually. I feel like the bug that I have right now is more the kid,” Derek admitted.

This is not the first time Derek has talked about his desire to be a dad. After his sister Julianne Hough’s wedding to Brooks Laich in 2017, Derek told E! News that while marriage wasn’t something he was talking about with his girlfriend Hayley Erbert at the time, he could “feel the love” at his sister’s ceremony.

“I don’t want to be an old grandpa when I start having kids… After that wedding, I’m like, ‘Who knows?’ You feel the love.”

Derek comes from a large family and has four sisters—Marabeth, Sharee, Katherine, and Julianne—so it’s no surprise that he is looking forward to having his own family someday. Earlier this year, while visiting with young patients at Boston Children’s Hospital, Derek told Entertainment Tonight that he has a lot of experience with kids due to his siblings and their large families.

“I am an uncle of, like, 20. I have so many nieces and nephews. So I love kids. I’m going to have kids one day.”

Derek Hough has been dating fellow professional dancer Hayley Erbert since 2015 when they danced together on the “DWTS Live” tour. The six-time Dancing with the Stars champ told L& S that he and Hayley, who is 10 years his junior, recently moved into a new place together, although he didn’t elaborate if the new pad has a room suitable for a nursery.

Earlier this summer, Derek and Hayley traveled to Europe where they visited Paris, London, and Cannes. The lovebirds clocked 26 miles just by walking and taking in the sites. The pro dancer revealed that he and his lady love just like to walk and hold hands and he compared them to “an old couple.”

Derek also just finished a 56-city tour and is working on new music while also planning for his next tour. While there’s no timeline announced for his fatherhood venture, the Dancing with the Stars champ has made quite a few comments about it recently, so it sounds like marriage and babies could be coming sooner for him rather than later.