It's Official: ABC Announces Julianne Hough as Fourth DANCING WITH THE STARS Judge

Two-time "Dancing" champion, actress, musician and Emmy®-nominated choreographer Julianne Hough returns to the ballroom as a fourth judge on this season of "Dancing with the Stars," premiering MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT) on ABC. Hough will judge alongside resident judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli

As previously announced, the twelve professional dancers competing this season for the Mirrorball Trophy are Mark Ballas, Cheryl Burke, Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Allison Holker, Derek Hough, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Emma Slater and Karina Smirnoff. The professional dancers will be paired with a brand new cast of celebrities, announced live on "Good Morning America" on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 (7:00-9:00 a.m., ET).

Julianne Hough said today, "I'm so excited to be back with my "Dancing with the Stars" family again on a regular basis. I've always aspired to be an all-around entertainer, whether I'm acting, dancing or singing, and I'm thrilled for this opportunity that will allow me to continue all of those pursuits. Derek and I just finished our Move Live on Tour, which reminded me how much I miss the interaction with the dance fans that have been so supportive of me in my career. I am warming up the paddles and the sass, and I'm ready to have fun in this new role."

Executive Producer, Rob Wade stated, "We are delighted to welcome Julianne back to the DWTS family. Her blend of ballroom dancing experience and unique judging ability make her the ideal choice for the show, and we are very excited to have her, Carrie Ann, Bruno and Len on board."

ABOUT JULIANNE HOUGH
Julianne Hough is known to audiences around the world for her success in the worlds of film, television and music. She became a household name as a two-time professional champion on ABC's top-rated "Dancing with the Stars," before making a seamless transition into music and film.

Julianne starred opposite Josh Duhamel in Nicholas Sparks' "Safe Haven," directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Her other film credits also include Diablo Cody's "Paradise" with Russell Brand and Octavia Spencer "Rock of Ages," with Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Mary J. Blige; the 2011 remake of the classic movie musical, "Footloose," and "Burlesque," working alongside Cher, Christina Aguilera and Kristen Bell.

This summer, Julianne and her brother, Derek, headlined their own all-new dance production, Move Live on Tour, which sold out theatres across North America. The pair also recently announced plans to develop "Blackpool," an original series for Starz, set in the world of international competitive ballroom dancing.

Julianne got her start with "Dancing with the Stars" as a company dancer before joining the cast in the show's fourth season, where she would go on to win the trophy with two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Apolo Anton Ohno and Indy race champion Helio Castroneves, earning Emmy® nominations in 2008 and 2009 for her choreography.

Her self-titled debut album hit the Billboard Country charts at #1 and her first two singles from the album soared up the country charts and she earned her first two 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards for Top New Female Vocalist and Top New Artist. She has released two top-selling fitness DVDs, "Cardio Ballroom" and "Just Dance!" She created her own shoe line, Julianne Hough for Sole Society and is an international spokesperson for Proactiv.

In addition to her performing career, Julianne is involved with the Kind Campaign, which empowers and encourages girls to be confident, beautiful women and to eradicate girl against girl bullying. Follow HYPERLINK "https://twitter.com/juliannehough" @JulianneHough

Hosted by Emmy® Award-winning host Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Erin Andrews (sports host & "Dancing with the Stars" Season 10 finalist), "Dancing with the Stars" is the hit series in which celebrities perform choreographed dance routines vying for a chance to win the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.

"Dancing with the Stars" is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Rob Wade, Ashley Edens-Shaffer and Joe Sungkur are executive producers. Alex Rudzinski directs. "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-PG, L parental guideline.

About BBC Worldwide Productions
BBC Worldwide Productions is a key business under BBC Worldwide North America, the US division of the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BBC Worldwide. Led by Jane Tranter, BBC Worldwide Productions is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for US cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The production company is responsible for various titles including the upcoming "Criminal Justice" (HBO) and "Intruders" (BBC AMERICA) as well as "Getting On" (HBO), "Top Gear" (HISTORY), "What Not to Wear" (TLC) and the cultural phenomenon, "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC).

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