Every week, fans are turning into Dancing With The Stars… and the social media recaps after. You might have seen creators on TikTok posting their in-depth opinions on the Season 35 dances, judges, and eliminations. And, if you have, then you’ve definitely come across the Derek Hough and Coach Jackie J beef.
If you’ve seen an episode of DWTS, then you’d know that Derek Hough regularly goofs off in the background when the camera is in his view: He makes faces. He pops in and out of frame. He makes prolonged eye-contact. And for the most part, fans love it. But Coach Jackie J? She is not having it.
If you’re unfamiliar with the main players in this heated rivalry (wink!), allow me to explain. Derek Hough is a current judge on Dancing With The Stars, but started out as a pro for 17 seasons, snagging six Mirrorball trophies throughout his tenure on the show. He was promoted to a judge for the show’s 29th season and became a head judge for Season 32 after longtime head judge Len Goodman retired. In short, when it comes to Derek Hough, he’s kind of a DWTS legend.
Aside from being one of the best professional dancers to enter the ballroom, Hough is also known for his goofy personality — especially on social media. On TikTok, Hough is tapped in when it comes to the DWTS fandom, playing along with the inside jokes and bantering with fans and other pros in the comment section. And that’s where Coach Jackie J comes in.
WHat’s going on between Coach Jackie J & Derek Hough?
Coach Jackie J is a popular content creator on social media, amassing over a million followers across platforms for her comedic videos about sports and pop culture. However, Coach Jackie J is also known for her viral recaps of reality television — and that, my friends, is how she formed a (completely unserious) rivalry with Derek Hough.
On social media, Coach Jackie J regularly calls out Hough’s background antics saying that he has made an “enemy” out of her due to sticking his head in the frame when the show’s host, Alfonso Ribeiro, is talking. Still, Hough does it every week, and even commented under one of Coach Jackie J’s videos, “It’s all for you ❤️”.
If you’re thinking, “This kind of gives Sue Sylvester and Will Schuester,” you’d be correct. In her recaps, Coach Jackie J regularly refers to Hough as her “rival”, and in response, Hough continues to poke his head in the frame, sometimes mouthing things like “I love you” — which, as you can imagine, only fuels the beef.
Of course, the rivalry is all in good fun. On TikTok, Coach Jackie J and Hough have even floated the idea of partnering up on a future season of DWTS — which would mean Hough coming out of retirement as a judge. Sure, it’s definitely unlikely, but hey, a girl can dream.
Hopefully, this rivalry can culminate in a dance between the two — preferably with a matching tracksuit and a sweater vest. Glee reference, anyone?