“Dancing With the Stars” judge Derek Hough married his longtime girlfriend, Hayley Erbert, on August 26, 2023. But before the couple officially tied the knot, they wanted to celebrate with loved ones.
While speaking to EntertainmentNow editor Lauren Weigle, Derek Hough opened up about his fondness for reality-style competitions and how they influenced his joint bachelor/ette party with his wife.
Derek Hough Reveals His Love For Reality TV Games & Puzzles
Derek Hough loved watching his best friend Mark Ballas compete on “The Traitors” season 4. EntertainmentNow wondered if Derek Hough would ever join “The Traitors,” or any other reality competition show.
“I think ‘Traitors’ would be fun,” the 41-year-old immediately declared. “I actually wouldn’t mind being on ‘Traitors’ one of these days. Again, I don’t know how good I would be. I would 1000% have to be a faithful because I would just tell everybody I was a traitor the second I opened my eyes.”
Derek Hough admitted that he’s a terrible liar, which wouldn’t bode well for a traitor. But ultimately, he’s open to other shows.
“Any show with challenges or physical activities or obstacle courses, I love all that kind of stuff,” the judge shared.
His fondness for games like these actually prompted his friends to throw him a “Survivor” style bachelor party that lasted three days.
The ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judge Describes His Epic Join Bachelor/ette Party
Derek and Hayley Hough had a jack and jill bachelor party, so everyone could spend time together. They had plenty of loved ones at the event, making an iconic scavenger hunt the perfect activity.
“We did a giant escape room,” the choreographer recalled. “When I tell you how elaborate this thing was, I’ll just say this. There’s three different teams. We had puzzles, we had clues… We had to get on a boat and go to a deserted island in the middle of the night.”
Derek added that each team used compasses to navigate and walkie-talkies to communicate. Their goal was to find a buried treasure on the island, dig it up, and return it to another location. To complicate the situation, there was a mole among the competitors.
“This thing was the most elaborate game… It was incredible,” he remembered.
Derek Hough revealed that he actually documented the weekend and plans to share the video someday.
The Houghs Debuted Their Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival This Year
Just months after their 2023 wedding, the Houghs were touring across the country. During their show in Washington, D.C., Hayley suffered a cranial hematoma and required emergency surgery. Despite the severe challenges, Hayley went on to dance again.
Director Jason Bergh helped the Houghs tell their story and turned the experience into a documentary that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“Long story short, [Bergh] really made it an experience that felt really comfortable, that felt really real, and didn’t feel invasive in the sense of trying to get something,” Derek Hough told EntertainmentNow. “He just wanted to share something.”
Fans can catch Derek and Hayley Hough on the encore tour for Symphony of Dance from June 24 through August 16. Tickets can be purchased through the tour’s official website.
Derek Hough will be back in the ballroom as a judge when “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 begins this September.
Sounds like a fun party! How did you come up with the theme?