“Dancing With the Stars” judge Julianne Hough won’t be returning to the show when season 22 of the reality dance competition premieres March 21.
Len Goodman, who took last season off, will be back, joined by returning judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
It sounds like Hough, who starred as Sandy in the recent “Grease: Live!” broadcast on Fox, is leaving on good terms.
“I will miss being on the panel for season 22, but have a lot of exciting stuff coming that I look forward to sharing,” Hough told People magazine. “The pro dancers, producers and crew at DWTS will always be my family.”
Hough won season 5 of the show as a professional dancer paired with car racing champion Helio Castroneves. She served as a judge on seasons 19, 20 and 21.
“Julianne will always be a part of the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ family, and we hope to see her back in the ballroom in the future,” said show producer Rob Wade.
“I promise it’s not the last you’ll see of me in the ballroom,” Hough said.
Fans who still want to watch Hough can settle for her brother, Derek, if he returns to the show. (The lineup of pro dancers hasn’t been announced yet.)
Derek Hough and his celebrity partners have won the competition six times, more than any other pro dancer.
He won season 21 with wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin, season 17 with “Glee” star Amber Riley, season 16 with country singer Kellie Pickler, season 11 with “Dirty Dancing” star Jennifer Grey, season 10 with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and season 7 with television personality and model Brooke Burke, who later co-hosted the show for several seasons.
