Derek Hough’s heart still goes on forCéline Dion.
Amid speculation about which stars are joining season 35 ofDancing With the Stars, the pro-turned-judge had some fun teasing that the “My Heart Will Go On” singer would be among the cast.
In an AI-generated post shared toInstagramAug. 23, Hough and Dion appeared to pose for a cast photo with the faux announcement revealing that the pair would be partners for the upcoming season.
“When Céline calls you answer,” Hough quipped in the caption. However, he emphasized the announcement was fake, adding, “Just waiting for the call.”
Although Dion isn’t expected to be waltzing into the ballroom for season 35 alongsideMaura Higgins,Ciara Miller,Jackson OlsonandGuillermo Rodriguez, Hough noted ina separate Aug. 24 postthat the singer is always welcome to two-step her way into a future season.
“A couple years ago in Vegas, @Célinedion was running late for her own show but we got talking about dance and she lit up,” he wrote alongside a video of himself and wifeHayley Erbertsharing a dance with Dion. “As I was walking out, I said, ‘Hey, if you ever want to dance, just let me know.’ And without missing a beat, she sang ‘Let me know’ to the melody of ‘Let It Go,’ and we shared a little dance.”
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From that moment, Hough—who shares 7-month-old daughterEverley Capriwith Erbert—knew the “That’s the Way It Is” singer would be the perfect dance partner.
“She’s every bit as kind, funny, and genuine as you’d hope,” he continued. “@hayley.erbert is her biggest fan, and whenever anyone asks who I’d love to see onDWTSin any way, it’s always Céline.”
Arturo Holmes/; Roy Rochlin/WireImage
So, as Hough put it to Dion, “The invite’s open, Queen Céline.”
In the meantime, multiple outlets have reported that Bachelor Nation’sTyler Cameron, actressJenna DewanandThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives‘Conner Leavittwill be joining season 35.
Ahead of the full cast announcement for season 35 ofDancing With the Stars, read on for all the behind the scenes secrets from the competition.
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However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.
“That show pays OK,” the radio personality said on a Sept. 2025 episode of Jason Tartick’s podcast Trading Secrets. “Like, first episode, no money. Second episode, $10,000. I think it’s like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000. It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last.”
Also receiving a base salary of around $110,000, Bones continued, “I ended up making close to $400,000 from that show.”
ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.
But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.
“You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks,” Jenna Johnson said on a June 2025 episode of Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester’s podcast The Morning After. “I think there’s different contracts though. I can’t speak for everybody.”
While Johnson—who won season 26 with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, as well as season 33 with The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei—says the pros don’t get a larger paycheck if they take home what is now called the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, she noted there’s still an incentive to make it to the finale (besides bragging rights, of course).
“If you make it all the way to the end, you’re getting paid the whole season, which is amazing, and you get a bonus on top of that for making it to the finale,” she explained on The Morning After. “If you win, it’s not like you win a $1 million and split it with your partner. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”
On a 2022 episode of Trading Secrets, Lindsay Arnold recalled how her salary was cut “more than in half” when she was demoted from pro to troupe member.
“You get no say,” Lindsay said on a May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers’ Hot Smart Rich podcast. “It’s very much just, ‘Here’s your partner. Make it work.'”
In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.
“They really want to keep it a secret until you meet them live,” Jenna said on The Morning After. “They want that genuine reaction. So I think people always think we know who we have and we’re keeping it a secret. Absolutely not. They do not tell us. They really don’t even want us to know the cast. It gets leaked a lot, but they want it very hush-hush until you walk in and meet your partner.”
As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?
“It’s based on height, build and personality and compatibility,” former showrunner Rob Wade told E! News in 2015. “We don’t pair people who aren’t going to get on. It’s too intense. It’s not like The Bachelor or something, we couldn’t do that. That would just be miserable experience for the celebrity, for us and the viewer. You don’t want to see two people who don’t like each other and, quite frankly, we have made that mistake pairing people up who didn’t get on so well.”
