DWTS Derek Hough On Winning, What Really Matters, And More!

Below is a new interview I missed posting this past week With Derek and OMG Yahoo. Derek dishes on his and Ricki’s chances to win Dancing With The Stars (I love what he said to Ricki about it and it’s so true, isn’t it?). He also talks of their biggest competition and the judges critiques. Be sure to read the full interview at the link because he talks on the dating rumors with Lauren Conrad (so, not true), writing music, and more.

Do you think you have a good chance of winning this season?
“I don’t want to be honest cause if I’m honest then it’s gonna sound like I’m defeated. I don’t know if it’s our season to win, but it’s not [about that]. I tell Ricki, ‘Listen, who was your favorite last season?’ She goes ‘Kirstie Alley.’ ‘Do you remember her scores?’ She went, ‘No, I have no idea what her scores were.’ ‘Did she win?’ ‘No.’ That’s what matters. What matters is being memorable.”

Who is your biggest competition?
“I feel that J.R. [Martinez] is definitely the frontrunner and has been from day one. It’s in his blood — the rhythm and the timing and things like that — and [pro dancer] Karina [Smirnoff] is doing a great job with him. If I had to guess who would make the final, it’s gonna be tough. I think Rob [Kardashian’s] been doing such a great job. He’s really improved a lot, so I think that he has a chance to make that final. As a person, he’s really evolved. It’s really great to see him — in a very sort of non-patronizing way. He’s kind of blossomed into a man.”

I think the toughest part of being on “Dancing” is standing there and getting critiqued by the judges. Do you think they’re fair?
“[Some seasons] I’ve become very sort of protective with my partners, and I lashed out at the judges. But after a couple of seasons I realized the best way to approach it. What I do now is I prepare my partners. I prepare them so, for instance, if they’ve got a dance, even if I think she deserves a 10 or a nine or whatever, we don’t talk about scores ever. It never comes into our vocabulary. But if I think she might deserve better I still tell her before I go out there, ‘Okay, even if you nail this dance, even if you’re gonna kill it, the judges might pick you on small things and mark you down so just be prepared for that.”

In a new interview with On The Red Carpet, Ricki and Derek speak about their freestyle, what she’s most terrified of, and more….

Lots more at Pure Derek Hough including the new People Magazine “Sexiext Man Alive” VIDEO, new Paparazzi photos, videos, and more!