Julianne Hough addresses the fan backlash to her fashion choices on Dancing with the Stars

Dancing With the Stars brought new attention to Julianne Hough’s hosting style this season, and some of that attention centered on her wardrobe. Throughout the season, viewers shared reactions online to specific looks, comparisons and comments about the outfits she wore on live television.

In The Morning After interview on November 27, Hough spoke about the feedback and how she handled it. She said she had seen the comments and understood that the online response was part of the larger social environment surrounding the show.

Hough explained that she views the discussion as a normal part of the current viewing culture, where audiences respond in real-time and share opinions across various platforms.

She noted that the comments varied, and some became running jokes online. She also discussed how she chose to respond and what she focused on when examining viewer reactions.

The conversation is also connected to the wider shift she described earlier in the season, where constant social media activity surrounds every episode.

How Julianne Hough responded to Dancing With the Stars viewer reactions

Dancing With the Stars ​​​​​​host Julianne Hough said she approached the feedback with a calm and practical mindset. She shared that while some comments were critical, she approached them with a simple question: how should she respond?

She said, “everybody is allowed to have their own thoughts and opinions,” and she accepts that viewers will react in different ways. She also added that she asks herself whether she wants to respond with humor or move on.

One moment she mentioned was when a viewer compared one of her looks to curtains. Hough said she saw the comment and chose not to take it personally.

She explained, “if you can’t laugh at yourself, then you’re going to just cry,” which showed how she handled that specific reaction. She described these moments as part of hosting a live show with a large online following.

Hough also discussed deciding when to respond to fans. She said she only engages when the tone is light or kind. She noted one example where she replied to a viewer who made fun of her in a “loving” way.

She explained, “if there was somebody coming at me that was just mean, I would not give them the energy.” Her focus remained on keeping the interaction simple and respectful.

Why the fashion conversation became part of the larger season

Hough explained that the attention on her wardrobe reflects the overall increase in online activity around the show. Because many clips circulate, viewers discuss a wide range of topics, from dances to interviews to styling choices. She said that the constant flow of posts makes every detail part of the public conversation. This season, that included her outfits, comments, and interviews from the skybox.

She also connected the wardrobe reactions to the wider theme of visibility. With more behind-the-scenes content and real-time posting, viewers see more angles of the show than ever before.

Hough said the online environment creates “polarity,” which she noted is common for people with a large audience. She mentioned that many public figures experience both support and criticism simultaneously.

Hough did not frame the conversation as positive or negative. Instead, she focused on how she interprets the reactions. She said she looks at viewer responses and asks herself what the comments reflect and how she wants to reply.

She explained that she accepts that “you’re not going to please everybody,” and that her choices come down to whether she is satisfied with how she handled the moment. This approach guided how she processed the fashion discussions throughout the season.
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