Derek Hough Shares What He’s Most Looking Forward to on His First Father’s Day as a Dad (Exclusive)

Hannah Sacks, Seyanna BarrettWed, May 13, 2026 at 6:58 PM UTC

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Derek Hough with wife Hayley and their daughter.
Credit: Derek Hough/Instagram -

Derek Hough is preparing to celebrate his first Father's Day after welcoming daughter Everley Capri with wife Hayley Erbert Hough

"I'm loving being a dad," Hough told PEOPLE

The Dancing with the Stars pro recently called fatherhood "the pinnacle" and said being a dad is the best experience

Derek Hough is gearing up to celebrate his very first Father's Day.

The Dancing with the Stars pro, 40, spoke with PEOPLE at the Disney 2026 Upfront in New York City on Tuesday, May 12, and shared a little about his Father's Day plans this June.

This year marks Hough's first Father's Day as a dad since welcoming his daughter Everley Capri this past December with wife Hayley Erbert Hough.

"I'll be happy with some socks and some ties with some new underwear," jokes Hough. "I don't know. Is that what Father's Day presents you get?"

"I have no idea, but I'm loving being a dad, so it's the best," he adds.

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Speaking with PEOPLE back in April, Hough raved about his first few months of parenthood and called dad life "the best."

"Being a dad is the—you know, being in the industry, you wanna do great in your career and be at the top of the game and do this, achieve this, but being a dad now, that’s the pinnacle," said Hough.

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"That’s the top. Everything else is just a bonus, you know what I mean? That is the echelon right there," he added.

Hough and his wife welcomed their baby girl back in December, sharing the exciting news with a joint post on Instagram. In the post, the couple shared a first look at their newborn with a black-and-white snap of their hands cupped around their baby's feet.

"December 29, 2025 Everley Capri Hough 🤍," the couple wrote in their caption. "Every step of our lives has led us to you. Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed."

Ahead of their newborn's arrival, Hough opened up about his excitement for fatherhood on the Jennifer Hudson Show. While chatting with host Jennifer Hudson, he revealed that he sometimes forgets about the big milestone and is reminded of his excitement all over again.

"Sometimes I like I forget, right? I'm doing things, and I just glance over there and I see her bump, [and] I'm like, 'Whoa.' I'm like, 'I'm gonna be a dad,' " he said. "I cannot wait. I cannot wait."

Hough went on to talk about the first time he felt the baby kick, adding that he would get "emotional just thinking about it."

"I felt the baby kick for the first time, and it was that feeling that everybody talks about and describes, where all of a sudden everything became vivid and different," he explained. "And I'm like, 'Whoa, I'm going to be something that I've never [been.] I'm going to feel something I've never experienced before yet.' And, I just can't wait. I can't wait."

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”