Love Lives of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judges: Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba & Derek Hough’s Dating Histories

Lauren Dehollogne September 17, 2024, 3:00 pm

It doesn’t feel like fall TV has truly arrived until Dancing With the Starspremieres. The new celebs are up against each other to win the beloved mirrorball trophy, now known as the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy. From Bachelor Nation favorites Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran to The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks, the reality TV bunch will battle Julia Roberts‘s older brother/fellow actor Eric Roberts, Olympic athletes Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik, and more in Season 33.

The judges, Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Derek Hough, will assess their performances and watch out for every detailed move. But what do we know about their dating history? Read below to find out who they are married to, who they have been entangled with, and more.

Bruno Tonioli

Monica Schipper / Getty Images for BAFTA

Tonioli, the oldest judge on the panel, was born in Ferrara, Italy, in 1955 and has been in the professional dance sphere since the ’80s. Being a beloved character on both sides of the pond, it’s no wonder that Tonioli has a long-term partner he’s been involved with since 2010, Jason Schanne. The Michigan native is 31 years his junior and works as a model. The couple had a commitment ceremony in 2012.

Schanne, who is not active on social media, has a pretty private life. Even Tonioli, who is more active in the public eye, hasn’t spoken much about his significant other. The two share their time between their London home and Los Angeles mansion. Tonioli is currently a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and was on Strictly Come Dancing, the UK version of Dancing With the Stars, until 2022.

Carrie Ann Inaba

Monica Schipper / Getty Images

The So You Think You Can Dance alum met fellow choreographer Artem Chigvintsev when the Russian dancer was competing on the show, and they quickly started dating in 2006. Ultimately, their relationship wasn’t meant to be. They broke up at the end of 2008. Since then, the two reunited on Dancing With the Stars as coworkers. Chigvintsev recently made headlines in August 2024 after being arrested on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse. His wife, Nikki Garcia, whom he met on the set of DWTS, has filed for divorce.

After her relationship with Chigvintsev, Inaba got engaged twice. First to Jesse Sloan, a man she met on eHarmony. He proposed on national television during an episode of Live with Kelly and Regis. She called off their engagement in 2012. Inaba got engaged to actor Robb Derringer in 2016. They relationship ended in 2017.

She was briefly involved with Italian musician Tony Neiman between 2014 and 2015. Her latest partner was Fabien Viteri, but the two ultimately broke things off in 2021. Inaba appears to be single as for now.

Derek Hough

Disney / Eric McCandless

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Hough found love in the ballroom. The former DWTS pro and now judge is married to Hayley Erbert. She competed on Season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance and the two met in 2014 when his famous sister hired her to go on tour with them. This wasn’t the last time they worked together as Erbert was also a troupe dancer on DWTS for seven seasons.

Rumored to have started dating in 2016, Hough and Erbert officially announced their relationship in 2017. They got engaged in 2022. In 2023, they tied the knot. At the ceremony, a lot of the DWTS crew appeared, such as Alfonso Ribeiro, Maria Menounos, and Shawn Johnson. Mark Ballas, another DWTS pro, served as Hough’s best man at the idyllic Monterey set wedding.

Dancing With the Stars, Season 33, September 17, 8/7c, ABC