“Dancing with the Stars” judge Derek Hough recently embraced a new chapter in his life. Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert, welcomed their first child on December 29. In a new interview, Hough opened up about becoming a father for the first time at the age of 40, and DWTS fans won’t want to miss what he had to say.
Derek Hough Loves This New Chapter in His Life
On February 4, E! News shared what Hough had to say about finally becoming a father.
Hough noted, “I grew up in Utah where you get married at 19, you have kids at 20, 21.” In his case, however, Hough waited much longer both to get married and to welcome his first child.
“It’s crazy that I’m 40 years old and I’m just now entering into this chapter,” he admitted.
Although Hough followed a different path in starting his family than others in his family or home state, he doesn’t seem to have any regrets. He explained, “I’ve had such a full and rich life.”
Now, however, Hough gets to “start over” because everything he’s experiencing now as a father is “all brand new.”
“I get to do this whole life thing, but in a totally different way now, and it has a lot more meaning and fulfillment and excitement,” Hough noted.
The ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judge Is ‘in Awe’ of Wife Hayley Erbert
During his chat with E! News, Hough also gushed over Erbert. She raved over how she is “such a natural caregiver” and said he’s “so in awe of her.”
“I tell her every day, ‘You’re amazing. You were meant for this. You’re such a great mom,'” Hough added. He also said he’s “even more in love with” Erbert than he was before.
Hough also noted that he hopes his daughter, Everley Capri, has Erbert’s “chill” temperament as she gets older.
In September 2025, after Hough and Erbert announced their pregnancy news, he opened up about becoming a father during a visit to “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
He admitted that despite his excitement, during the pregnancy he sometimes “forgot” what was happening. Hough explained that he’d look over at Erbert, see her baby bump, and be a bit startled.
Despite that, Hough said at the time, he “couldn’t wait” to become a dad. Now that he’s accomplished that, it seems he’s already head-over-heels in love with both his daughter and the experience.
