Derek Hough is giving audiences a taste of who Shirley Ballas is. The new father is gushing over the 65-year-old who will be a judge on Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. She, along with her son Mark, will serve as judges for the latest spinoff of Dancing with the Stars.
Ahead of the show’s debut this summer, Derek expressed his excitement about Shirley. He says that she is “like my mom.” Both Derek and she have competed on DWTS, with the latter giving master classes for contestants.
Derek Hough and Shirley Ballas are extremely close
Contestants on the upcoming DWTS spinoff appear to be in good hands. Speaking exclusively to US Weekly, Derek called Shirley an “absolute icon in the ballroom.” He says that Shirley once trained him years ago.
“I’m excited for America to meet her,” declared Derek. In the ballroom community, people know Shirley as the Queen of Latin. She currently serves as a judge on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in England.
There is a lot of hype surrounding The Next Pro. Last month, it was confirmed that Robert Irwin would host that program. Robert captured the DWTS Mirrorball trophy last season alongside Witney Carson.
As fans wait for this spinoff to commence, we have a taste of some of the contestants competing in the upcoming DWTS. Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins and Jackson Olson are among those confirmed. Derek says that the crop of contestants introduced for Season 35 are “fantastic.” The pro dancers for that season have yet to be announced.
The DWTS program hosted by Robert will feature 12 up-and-coming dancers living and training together. They will compete in an audition process with the winner joining the flagship series as a pro. It will premiere on ABC on July 13.
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