DWTS 13 Derek Hough On His Freestyle Finale Plans, New Judges, and More

What a great new interview with Derek! He answers questions on the finale, being a judges favorite, if the show needs new judges, Ricki, his favorite moment of the season, and much more. Note how Derek will be co-hosting ‘Live!’ with Kelly Ripa after he’s finished with the season.

She definitely has that never-say-never attitude, so what has been her biggest struggle?

Just the stamina, I think, just trying to get through everything. It takes a lot of energy.

I know that she had a hard time with her shoulders, which is actually something I never even noticed. It was such a technical critique.

It’s definitely been a common problem within our routines. We’ve been trying to keep her shoulders down. I think she’s got it down now. I really feel good about our routine this week, and hopefully we do a good job. I think the result is out of our hands. All I really care about is going out there and doing a good job. I want us to end on a high note.

What’s been your most memorable moment from this season?

I think the ‘Psycho’ tango was a fun one, and I think Ricki executed the shadow dancing really well. It was a good one. I also enjoyed our quickstep and the paso doble was really fun, where she was Little Red Riding Hood. I think that each routine was thought out. There was never a routine where I thought we phoned it in. There was a lot of thought in every routine this season.

After Tuesday night, it’s a wrap for Season 13, so what are your post-season plans?

I’m going on a vacation, which I’m really excited about. That should be fun. I’m actually co-hosting ‘Live!’ with Kelly Ripa, which should be a lot of fun. Regis has always been a huge supporter of mine, and I always have a good time on the show.

Be sure to read the full interview at AOL. Thanks to PureDWTS reader @ElmariL for the link.