Derek Hough Shares Predictions and Latest Update on Wife Hayley Erbert Nearly a Year After Brain Surgery (Exclusive)

From the reality TV star Phaedra Parks has Nation of Singles Joey Graziadei And Jenn Tranto NBA star Dwight Howard and Summer Olympic athletes Ilona Maher and “the pommel horse guy” Stephen Nedoroscikas well as Disney’s Chandler Kinney, and perhaps the most controversial candidate of the bunch – a convicted con man Anna Delvey — Derek Hough weighs on them all.

Speaking with TooFab after the show’s premiere Tuesday, he talked about those early performances and who he thinks has the potential to go all the way.

“My first impressions have been really positive, honestly,” Hough said. “I think for a first week of dance, there’s been some incredible performances, a lot of potential. And it’s going to be a very competitive season, I think — for different reasons, too.”

He continued: “Some of the dancers were technically really beautiful and fantastic. I think Chandler was great. But Joey and Jenna – Joey seems really comfortable in his own skin and confident, and he has natural movement and rhythm and timing. Dwight is just bigger than life, not just physically, but his personality, his charisma is incredible. Stephen – his athleticism. He was so much fun to watch. It’s going to be tough, honestly. It’s going to be very competitive and again, for different reasons, but it’s exciting.”

As for who he thinks has a shot at winning the coveted Mirrorball Trophy this year, while it’s still too early to tell, Hough has some early predictions.

“Well, I think again, technically, Chandler is a superstar. I mean, she really is. Just her performance, and just the way she moves, it’s already there and it’s week one, so we’ll see where she goes. But it does create a little bit of anticipation, so it could work for her or against her,” the DWTS judge explained. “But I don’t know. Again, I think Joey is good. I think Jenn Tran was great. Stephen…”

“…I love Phaedra, but I love her too. She has a great personality. She’s a great performer. She was sliding all over the place last night. I wanted to kind of teach her how to use shoes,” Hough joked. “She needed to brush her shoes and wet the bottoms of them because it gives them a little more friction. But she’s wonderful. She’s great, man. She’s witty. She’s fast. She’s smart. So she’s going to be one to watch, too.”

Asked about Delvey, the contestant on everyone’s lips this season, Hough said he thought she did “a good job.”

While some found it odd that the con artist was allowed to appear on the show amid her house arrest and ICE deportation case, Hough said Delvey went out and did her thing on the dance floor.

“I thought she did a good job last night. Because I’d seen some of the interviews before, I didn’t really know what to expect, to be honest with you. But I was like, ‘She went there. She said some great little lines.’ And yeah, I was a little lost for words, honestly, last night. But yeah, I think it was interesting.”

Delvey wore his ankle monitor as part of his house arrest during the competition, and bedazzled it to match his performance attire – something that’s not out of the norm on DWTS.

“I mean, we’ve had some dazzling things in the past where I’ve danced with a Paralympian, with Amy Purdy, and we’ve dazzled her prosthetic legs – anything we can dazzle, we dazzle,” Hough joked.

While Hough is no longer dancing DWTSThe former dance pro turned judge says he’s happy to be at the judging table. However, every now and then, he feels the need to grab a celebrity and teach them some of those dance moves.

“I feel comfortable at the judges’ table. I love it. I’ve done 17 seasons. And so I feel very content in that space,” Hough said. “I’m really lucky because I get to play on Dancing with the Starsover the last few seasons with these one-off special performances. So I feel lucky to have the best of both worlds. I would say, do I have the urge and the frustration of just wanting to take a celebrity that I’m watching right there and take them for an hour and work with them? Yeah, I feel that a lot and I’m like, “Oh my God, I just want you to work on this hand, this foot, just change this move, change that.”

“I actually asked the producers, ‘Hey, we usually do these mentoring sessions for the judges at the end, but can we do them at the beginning or the middle of the season so we can work with them a little bit more?’” he added. “Because I miss that. I miss being a coach and being hands-on and being like, ‘Let’s work on this and let’s work on that.’ So yeah, that’s a part I miss for sure. But I’m also happy at the judges’ table.”

Working with my sister, Julianne Houghalso has its advantages, with the dancer working as co-host of the show, both partners can lean on each other and chat throughout the season.

“It’s really special to be able to do something to have parallel careers where we can be a shoulder to not cry on, but to lean on, I should say,” Hough said. “And just communicate, talk to each other and encourage each other. It’s pretty special.”

Hough also shared an update on his wife’s health, Hayley ErbertNearly a year after suffering a frightening medical emergency while the couple were on tour last December, she was forced to undergo brain surgery.

The 29-year-old was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma, which required an emergency craniectomy. This was then followed by another surgery, a cranioplasty, to repair her skull.

“She’s doing great. It’s truly a miracle. I don’t think we didn’t really share the extent of how serious this was,” Hough said of his wife’s health issues. “I mean, I think people understand that it was serious, but it goes even deeper than we actually shared. And so to see where she is now, it’s nothing short of a miracle. It really is, and she’s going to be with me on tour this holiday season. We’re going to 40 different cities, and it feels fitting because she really is a miracle. And so to go during the season of miracles, if you will, it’s very fitting.”

“But she’s incredible,” he added, before teasing a documentary the couple has been working on that details the journey they’ve been on since that fateful day. “We’ve done a documentary that we’re finishing up right now that really tells that story and that journey. And she’s been a huge inspiration to me. And a lot of other people. We’ve had people come to our shows with brain injuries and stuff, and it’s been really cool to see that connection. And so she’s incredible.”

TooFab spoke with Hough as he promoted his partnership with Pepcid. Whether he was choreographing a new dance for his tour or at the judges’ table — or even at home snacking, Hough said the Pepcid Max Icy Cool Mint has come in handy in times when he’s needed to soothe his heartburn on the go.

“As an artist, I go on tour and I’m on the move. For me, it’s important that if I go out and sing, I’m judged on Dancing with the Stars“If I eat something, if I have that kind of heartburn, it’s important that I have something on hand to help me. And that’s where Pepcid Max Icy Cool Mint is great because it works quickly. It lasts all night, unlike antacids. And it gives me an instant cooling sensation, which is great because it allows me to go out and perform, sing, judge, so it’s really great to have that,” Hough explained.

“And also to balance my life, because I think having such a strict diet or a very busy lifestyle, where I’m choreographing my brand new dance or tour or whatever, it’s important to also have those nights where I like to just go home and relax, you know what I mean, or take the bus and have a snack and watch my favorite show,” he added. “I love my chips and salsa. I love my popcorn, but it doesn’t always love me. You know how it feels. So having Pepcid Max Icy Cool Mint on hand, allowing me to just have fun, it helps me balance things out as well. And it helps me unplug from such a busy time, so it’s a great partnership.”

Dancing with the Stars continues with an Oscars theme and a double elimination next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.