Watch: Julianne Hough Teases She “May Not Be Single” At Emmys 2026
Tanner Courtad did, in fact, try his hand at being Julianne Hough’s dance partner.
Nearly two years after the pair were spotted out on a date in Los Angeles, the Bachelor in Paradise alum confirmed he and the Dancing With the Stars co-host had a brief connection.
As for how Courtad, 33, and Hough, 38, came to tango together? It started when he went to support his Bachelor Nation brethren—and DWTS season 33 winner—Joey Graziadei.
“I was going to Dancing With the Stars to support Joey, and I was sitting in the front row,” Courtad explained on the Nov. 3 episode of Bachelor Happy Hour podcast. “Ezra [Sosa] came over to me, and he goes, ‘Hey, our host thinks you’re cute. Can I give you her number?’”
And while the fitness trainer took a quickstep to say yes, he wanted to make sure nothing else was afoot.
“I look back at [fellow Bachelorette alum] Justin Glaze. I’m like, ‘Did you hear that? Is this a prank?’” he explained. “I thought Justin was in on it or something.”
Once Courtad was confident there were no false steps, he waltzed into the parking lot after the episode to meet Hough for the first time.
“We talked for a couple of minutes, decided to go on a date and talked for a little bit,” he shared. “We went to the park with her dog, got some sushi, hung out for the night and that’s when we got spotted by the paparazzi picking up sushi.”
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images
But while Courtad and Hough seemed to easily glide together during their December 2024 outing, he clarified that they bowed out of the romance before it got serious.
“It was very short-lived,” he said. “Julianne’s great, but it was never anything more than just a singular date.”
And after insinuating that Hough was the one who sashayed away from the tryst, Courtad quipped, “I blew it, guys.”
Though Courtad’s connection with Hough didn’t last, there have been many other romantic connections that have blossomed in and out of the ballroom. Read on for other Dancing With the Stars relationships that happened on and off the show.
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