How Old Is Derek From Dancing With The Stars

So, you’re curious about Derek Hough’s age. You’re not alone. It’s the burning question that keeps fans of Dancing With the Stars up at night.

Let’s cut to the chase. Derek Hough is 39 years old as of 2024. Born on May 17, 1985, in Salt Lake City, Utah. That makes him a Taurus—stubborn, loyal, and apparently capable of winning six Mirrorball Trophies.

Wait, 39? That’s it?

Yes, 39. It feels like he’s been around forever, right? He first stepped onto the DWTS ballroom floor in 2007. He was just 22 years old and already a professional dancer. That’s younger than most of us are when we finally learn to parallel park.

He’s the youngest pro to ever win the show. His first win came with Brooke Burke in Season 7. He was only 23 then. Just imagine winning a major TV competition before you can even rent a car without a surcharge.

How does he stay so young-looking?

Seriously, does he have a portrait in his attic? The man dances, lifts, and spins for a living. He also eats clean and meditates. But we suspect the secret ingredient is pure, uncut swagger.

‘Dancing With the Stars’ Siblings Derek & Julianne Hough Reflect on

He once said in an interview that he drinks celery juice. Celery juice! That’s the kind of thing that makes you 39 but look 29. Meanwhile, the rest of us are aging just by reading this.

Let’s compare him to other pros

Mark Ballas is 38. Julianne Hough (his sister) is 35. So Derek is the middle child of the Hough dancing dynasty. But he’s the one with the most wins. Six trophies! That’s more than some Olympic medals.

And get this: He was the youngest head judge on the show when he joined the panel in 2020. He was 35. Most judges have reading glasses older than that.

Dancing With The Stars Derek And

What was he doing before DWTS?

At 12, he was already a world champion junior dancer. At 15, he moved to London to train. Alone. In a foreign country. At that age, most of us were just trying to survive middle school gym class.

By 18, he was dancing backing vocals for pop stars. By 22, he was on your TV. So yes, Derek has been a professional adult for almost his entire life. It feels like he was born in a tuxedo and a perfect spray tan.

Why does his age even matter?

Because it’s fun to be amazed! A 39-year-old who can still do a standing backflip on live TV is a marvel. It’s like watching a superhero who just happens to have a great sense of rhythm.

Derek Hughes Dancing With Stars

Also, it makes us feel better about our own aging. If Derek can stay this fit and energetic at 39, maybe we can too. Or at least we can pretend we might while sitting on the couch, eating chips, and watching him dance.

One last quirky fact

Derek’s birthday is exactly four days after my mom’s. I don’t know why that’s funny. It just is. Also, he shares a birth year with the release of the Super Mario Bros. video game. Coincidence? Probably. But I’d argue that Derek Hough is the Mario of ballroom dancing—short, powerful, and always saving the princess (or the Mirrorball).

So there it is. 39 years old. Still young. Still winning. And still making us ask, “How is he not aging?” The answer: Celery juice. And maybe a little bit of magic.