Derek Hough opens up about new dad life, calls it greater than career success

Derek Hough has embraced fatherhood as the most meaningful milestone of his life.

Speaking with People at Disney’s Toast to Television red carpet event in West Hollywood on April 27, the Dancing with the Stars judge, 40, said welcoming his daughter Everley with wife Hayley Erbert Hough in December has reshaped his perspective on success.

“Being a dad is the—you know, being in the industry, you wanna do great in your career and be at the top of the game and do this, achieve this, but being a dad now, that’s the pinnacle,” Hough said. “That’s the top. Everything else is just a bonus.”

The dancer and television personality added that fatherhood now represents “the echelon” of his life, placing personal fulfillment above professional accomplishments.

Hough also reflected on his hopes for his daughter’s future, saying he would support her if she chose to follow in his footsteps. He noted that dance can offer broader life benefits beyond performance.

“Dance is so good for anybody, even if they don’t want to become a dancer—for discipline, for community, for awareness of your body, for control,” he said. “I recommend it to every single human being on this planet.”

Hough and Erbert Hough, 31, recently marked Everley’s first Easter, sharing family photos on Instagram showing the couple holding their daughter during a quiet outdoor celebration.

The couple announced Everley’s birth on December 29, 2025, with a black-and-white photo of their hands cradling her tiny feet.

“Every step of our lives has led us to you,” they wrote at the time. “Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed.”

Ahead of becoming a father, Hough previously spoke about his anticipation during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, describing the moment he first felt his daughter kick as deeply emotional and transformative.