Julianne Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Drama: Inside The Trouble At The ‘DWTS’ Judges’ Table


It’s Julianne vs. Carrie Ann! Julianne Hough might be the “new kid on the block” on the Dancing With the Stars judges’ panel, but a new report alleges that she is acting like the queen bee. A show insider told Life & Style that Hough has taken center stage this season on DWTS, and veteran judge Carrie Ann Inaba is reportedly not having it.

The source revealed that egos and diva behavior are dominating the DWTS panel and that “Julianne is ruffling Carrie Ann’s feathers.” The tension at the table is exasperated because, with head judge Len Goodman out of the country, Julianne Hough is now seated at the center of the table with “all eyes on her.” The DWTS source also revealed that Inaba is “always rolling her eyes at Julianne.”

Julianne Hough definitely gets herself noticed on Dancing With the Stars. Hough is known for her over-the-top outfits and she out-shined the rest of the judges’ panel with her sparkly Cirque du Soleil night ensemble earlier this season.

But two weeks later, Carrie Ann spiced things up and gave a shout out to her own team for creating her hot Latin Night look.

The rumored tension on the Dancing With the Stars set seems to have started over the past year. When Julianne, a former DWTS competitor and two-time mirrorball champion, was first brought in as a guest judge in 2013, Carrie Ann had her back. On her blog for Parade, the former Fly Girl wrote that Hough was the best guest the show had ever had.

“Last night in the ballroom, we had the wonderful Julianne Hough as our guest judge,” Inaba wrote at the time. “And she nailed it! I think she was the best guest judge we’ve ever had — and we’ve had some really great ones… I give her a TEN! Not that judges are supposed to judge other judges, but it was really just a pleasure to have her on the panel last night.”

Inaba also praised Hough for separating her personal connection to the DWTS pros (most notably, her pro dancing brother, Derek Hough) from her critiques as a judge, and she defended Julianne against naysayers who thought it would be impossible for her to remain impartial when judging her brother’s choreography.

“The truth of the matter is that we don’t judge the professional dancers, we only judge the celebrity,” Carrie Ann wrote. “[Julianne] was never going to be judging her brother, so it was always going to be okay.”

Indeed, the DWTS judges’ table seems to suit Julianne Hough. Hough previously told Parade that being a DWTS judge is a great way to balance all of her career aspirations. In addition to her training as a professional dancer, Julianne is an actress and a singer.

“Being a dancer is a big commitment and it didn’t allow me time to focus on other aspects of my career,” Hough said last year. “Being a judge is a great way to be a part of the show, but still have time for my other dreams and aspirations.”

Over the past three years, Julianne has been back and forth as a Dancing with the Stars judge, but this is not the first time there have been rumors of trouble at the judges’ table. Last fall, Hollywood Life reported that a full-on feud was brewing between Hough and Inaba. An insider said that Julianne was trying to “make her mark” and that the rival females were trying to outdo one another with their outfits and outrageous comments.

“Carrie Ann has been at the judges’ table from day one and she was happy being the only woman, but now Julianne is desperate to make her mark,” a source told Life & Style last year. “Each not only tries to dress better than the other, but they try to outdo each other with their outrageous comments. And the pursed lips and eye rolls when the other one speaks are out of control.”

A rep for Julianne Hough denied the feud talk, but one year later the rumors are still flying despite the fact that Inaba recently posted that she loves her “sister judge.”

In addition to the rumored Julianne-Carrie DWTS drama, the Life & Style insider hinted that there’s trouble in paradise for longtime host Tom Bergeron and co-host Erin Andrews, who joined the show two years ago. The source said Bergeron is frustrated with Andrews because they have very different styles when it comes to prepping for the live show. Bergeron can reportedly “host any show in his sleep,” while Andrews “needs to prep and look at notes on every break.” The insider says Tom gets annoyed and just walks away from his co-host when the cameras aren’t on them.

Take a look at the video below to see Inaba talking about Julianne Hough as a judge on Dancing with the Stars.

[Featured Image by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images]

Share this article: Julianne Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Drama: Inside The Trouble At The ‘DWTS’ Judges’ Table
More from Inquisitr