Alfonso Ribeiro Explains Why He and 'DWTS' Co-Host Julianne Hough Make the Perfect Duo: 'We Just Have a Great Rapport'
Alfonso Ribeiro could not be more excited to share the spotlight with Julianne Hough.
The two will join forces to co-host Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars when it launches on Tuesday, September 17, and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star, 52, has loved getting close with the former pro, 36.
“We were already close. We’ve gotten even way tighter over the last year,” he gushed over his partner-in-crime. "She comes over to the house, we hang out, we have lunch. We just have a great rapport. And so the energy, I think, is going to be even better this season."
When asked about why he and Hough work well together, Ribeiro said it's because “it’s exactly what the show is, right? The show is about a professional dancer with a celebrity coming together to go through the season and hopefully win. But pro and celebrity [are] now riding through the entire season with them. We get to do that journey with them. It’s special.”
The new cast is packed to the brim with superstars, including Tori Spelling, Phaedra Parks, Danny Amendola and Anna Delvey. “They’re just a lot of fun people,” the funny man, who won the mirrorball trophy in 2014, revealed.
“I think that everyone this season has an energy. They’re excited about doing the show. Met them all last night for the first time. Some I kind of knew before, but great energy, great love of show. Want to get out there. They’re a little nervous of course, but I think they’re going to have a lot of fun this season," Ribeiro noted.
The Love Wrecked alum shared hosting duties with Tyra Banks when he signed on to the competition series in 2022. After the supermodel departed the show, the Footloose actress, who also served as a dancer and a judge in the past, joined forces with Ribeiro.
"Our chemistry, I think, is going to be fantastic. We've known each other for so long. She was a judge on my season," he said of Hough in an interview earlier this summer. "We've known each other through the years and our energy just feels so right. We sat and had lunch and two-and-a-half hours later, we're going, 'I guess we should go home and do stuff.' And I think that that kind of chemistry and friendship is going to come through on the show to the audience."
Since both Ribeiro and the blonde beauty have a win under their belts, viewers may be in for a treat. "We know exactly [what it takes]," he said. "Funny enough, Julianne and I might end up dancing a little bit. That might happen."
TV Insider spoke with Ribeiro.
People conducted the second interview with Ribeiro.