Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest recently spilled about a celebrity contestant whose wild antics almost took the iconic wheel for a spin it wasn’t ready for.
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Seacrest told USA Today that Derek Hough, who was on the Sept. 26 episode with fellow Dancing with the Stars favorites Jenna Johnson and Bruno Tonioli, actually stepped on the iconic wheel.
As common sense would dictate, that’s a big no-no.
“In the commercial break, [Hough] was jumping on the center of the wheel and having Bruno spin it, much like the top of a cake ornament,” Seacrest told the outlet.
Sadly, the 50-year-old host was forced to act like a middle school substitute teacher with the rambunctious 40-year-old dancer.
“We did say, ‘Please don’t do that,” Seacrest recalled. “That would break it, and there’s only one of those wheels. If that breaks, we have a real problem.”
Seacrest, ever the pragmatist, had even warned the DWTS crew to “stick to the ledge” during the show. And to his credit, during the Season 6 premiere, Hough did jump on the set’s podium, mercifully sparing the show’s prized money-making centerpiece.
“They’re very physical, and that makes for fun,” a likely chagrined Seacrest claimed.
However, Hough’s nearly destructive antics may have smashed expectations in the best way possible, earning him the win and $63,350 for Feeding America.
Derek Hough Pushes Back on Ryan Seacrest’s Claims of His Antics on the Set of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Even with a treasure trove of footage showing Hough treating the set like his personal trampoline, he still had the audacity to call Seacrest a big fat liar.
The dancer remembered things differently.
“Btw, this is 1000% NOT true,” Hough insisted on his Instagram Story on Oct. 22, alongside a screenshot of Seacrest’s claims, per Us Weekly. “I would never disrespect a set like that, however awesome that would’ve been to be ‘spun around it like a cake ornament’ haha.”
But wait, there’s more! Seacrest and Hough’s sister, Julianne, dated for years. Is this a classic case of a protective brother?
Indeed, elsewhere in the interview with USA Today, Seacrest reflected on his long history with Derek, stemming from his relationship with Derek’s sister, Julianne Hough, whom he dated from 2010 to 2013.
“Knowing someone, or being friends, is definitely helpful,” Seacrest told the outlet. “You can kind of tease them more than somebody you don’t know.”