When Bristol Palin heads back to the ballroom this fall, she'll have a built-in support system thanks to Derek Hough.
The Dancing With the Stars pro spoke to E! News over the weekend about Palin's decision to sign on to DWTS' All-Star season. (Palin originally competed during the reality show's eleventh season with partner Mark Ballas — the pair ended up placing third.)
Not everyone is quite so excited about Palin's return, but, "Unfortunately with the Palin drama and crazy entertainment it's brought to the United States, I suppose it comes with the territory," Hough, 27, shared. "But I think, good for her — good for her to put herself out there because it's really easy to kind of hibernate and just to disappear."
Added the dancer, "She's saying, 'I'm going to go out there and do my thing and if you don't like it, then fine!'"
Palin, for her part, addressed her haters during a Television Critics Association press panel in Los Angeles Friday.
"[Critics] are going to be talking about us either way," the Life's a Tripp star, 21, said. "I might as well be doing something enjoyable and fun and with a good group of people, and that's why I'm doing it."
Premiering September 25, Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars will also feature Kirstie Alley, Pamela Anderson, Helio Castroneves, Joey Fatone, Shawn Johnson, Drew Lachey, Gilles Marini, Kelly Monaco, Apollo Ohno, Melissa Rycroft and Emmitt Smith. Viewers will vote for the 13th cast member among Sabrina Bryan, Kyle Massey and Carson Kressley.
