Julianne Hough had a rather amusing reaction to her brother Derek Hough‘s latest viral moment on Dancing With the Stars. A joke about sibling relationships during the November 10 episode caught viewers’ attention, particularly because of the famous siblings’ history of performing intimate dance routines together.
Julianne Hough responds to brother Derek’s viral DWTS quip
The awkward exchange happened after Paralympian Ezra Frech and his professional partner Daniella Karagach performed a sensual Argentine tango. The pair, who have described their relationship as sibling-like throughout the season, received unexpected praise from judge Carrie Ann Inaba, as per E! News.
Inaba said, “You were able to stay so centered on yourself while also delivering the story that I want so much with this dance.” She added, “The intimacy, turning your sister into your lover for one night, is all good.”
As Ezra and Daniella appeared surprised, co-host Alfonso Ribeiro remarked, “Sister lover, that’s awkward.” Derek then added with a laugh, “Tell me about it. That was weird.”
His response became a talking point online. Fans connected the joke to the intimate performances he has shared with Julianne over the years.
One Threads user found Derek’s response particularly hilarious. The user commented that Derek’s “tell me about it” comeback after Carrie Ann’s comments about Ezra and Daniella’s sibling-like bond was what made the moment so funny. Julianne also acknowledged the viral reaction of the user by sharing the post on her Instagram Stories on November 12, adding a shrugging emoji.
However, this wasn’t the first time Carrie Ann’s choreography had put the Hough siblings in an awkward position. During their 2014 live tour, she paired them for a rumba. Julianne later recalled it on the September 2025 episode of the Chicks in the Office podcast.
She said, “Our first thing that we ever did on Dancing with the Stars was the live tour.” She further added, “Carrie Ann was the one who choreographed everything, and she got us to do a rumba together. You guys, that’s the dance of love that my brother and I had to dance together.”
Julianne also remembered that their names appeared together in the program as “Derek and Julianne Hough.” This led some audience members to assume they were married. “When people found out we were brother and sister? I remember there was one venue, and we just heard, ‘That’s just wrong!’” she recalled.
