Julianne Hough

Best known for her time on ABC’s reality series Dancing with the Stars, Julianne Hough is a professional ballroom dancer and country singer.

Born in 1988 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Hough — whose brother, Derek, also competes on DWTS — began dancing as a child and even trained and competed professionally in London. When she returned to the U.S. five years later, Hough moved to Los Angeles to jumpstart her dance career.

Her big break came when she was approached to participate on the fourth season of DWTS. As a direct result of her talents, Hough has earned two “mirror ball trophies” on the series and was recognized with an Outstanding Choreography Emmy nomination in 2008.

The multi-talent released her self-titled debut in 2008, which quickly rose up the country music charts. In June 2009, she was offered a role in the movie remake of Footloose.

Hough, who has pledged abstinence until marriage, dated Ryan Seacrest for two years until the couple split in 2013. She married Brooks Laich in July 2017.