Julianne Hough Reveals Her ‘Dream’ Dancing with the Stars Competitor – and She’s in the ABC Family (Exclusive)

Julianne Hough is already dreaming about the next one Dancing with the stars honor!

Days after the ABC reality competition series was officially picked up for a 33rd season, Hough, 35, revealed in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE who she’d like to see compete on the show next.

“I feel like Kelly Ripa would be an amazing person to be on the show because she’s a dancer, she’s vivacious. She would go for it,” Hough says when asked who her “dream” competitor is at a Disney event on Tuesday, May 14.

“She would have a lot of fun with it,” adds Hough. “She wouldn’t take herself too seriously. So I’m rooting for Kelly to get in.”

Kelly Ripa on the set of the movie “Generation Gap”.

Cara Howe / ABC via Getty

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Ripa, 53, is a longtime member of the ABC family. She is the hostLiving with Kelly and Mark with her husband, Mark Consuelos, who debuted in April 2023. Prior to joining the show, Ripa, who has been a talk show host since 2001, co-hosted with Regis Philbin, Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest.

Before hosting the ABC game show Generation gapRipa appeared on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Childrenwhere she met Consuelos.

Julianne Hough on “Live with Kelly and Mark.”

ABC

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Ripa also appeared as a dancer in shows from the 80s Dancin’ On Air and USA dance party.

Although there are no new details about the upcoming season Dancing with the stars released, Hough tells PEOPLE she’s “so happy” to be co-hosting alongside Alfonso Ribeiro.

“He’s such a good soul, such a good person,” Hough says. “He sets a really good tone for what the show should be. And so, when I came in, our chemistry and our relationship was already solid. But the support and the level of trust that we have with each other — it’s amazing. And he gave him directions, [and] I gave him instructions.”

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough in ‘Dancing with the Stars’.

Christopher Willard/Disney via Getty

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Ribeiro, 52, past DWTS contestant and winner, joined the show as a co-host in Season 31 alongside then-host Tyra Banks. Hough joined the show as co-host in season 32 after Banks, 50, left the series.

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Source: HIS Education