# Jenny McCarthy recalls Derek Hough telling her ‘there’s no hope’ for dancing

On her Oct. 20 podcast, McCarthy described years of informal ballroom lessons with Dancing With the Stars pros and said she still does not expect to compete.

By The Signal Edition | Entertainment / Television
Published: 2026-10-25T16:12:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-25T16:12:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/jenny-mccarthy-derek-hough-dwts-dance-108knkw
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/0fbc6fff397a5d59b057df33029cf426.webp (Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg pose together at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards.; credit: Source: Fox News)

## Summary
- McCarthy recounted a comment by DWTS judge Derek Hough during a conversation with Selma Blair on her podcast.
- She said the show’s dancers tried for years to teach her ballroom dancing at afterparties.
- McCarthy has previously said she received invitations to compete but declined; she did not announce a change in that decision.

## A story from the ballroom afterparties

Jenny McCarthy says Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough once told her there was “no hope” for her ballroom dancing, a remark she recalled during an Oct. 20 episode of The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show. The episode’s guest was actor Selma Blair, who competed on the ABC competition in 2022. Entertainment Weekly reported McCarthy’s account on Oct. 24; the show’s episode listing on Apple Podcasts confirms the date and guest. [1](https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/selma-blair-her-ms-diagnosis-was-a-relief-why/id6817467607?i=1000797231170) [2](https://ew.com/jenny-mccarthy-says-derek-hough-said-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-dwts-12185454)

McCarthy said her sister worked as a makeup artist on the show for about 15 years, and that she attended cast afterparties where professional dancers tried to teach her ballroom steps. She described roughly a decade of those efforts before Hough, whom she identified as a judge, delivered the blunt assessment. The account is McCarthy’s recollection from the podcast; neither the episode listing nor the coverage presents an independent recording of the exchange. [1](https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/selma-blair-her-ms-diagnosis-was-a-relief-why/id6817467607?i=1000797231170) [2](https://ew.com/jenny-mccarthy-says-derek-hough-said-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-dwts-12185454)

## No competition announcement

McCarthy also described herself as unable to find the rhythm and joked that she dances like a stiff-armed cheerleader. Blair was unconvinced by McCarthy’s self-assessment, according to Entertainment Weekly. McCarthy did not announce that she plans to join the show; her comments were about informal lessons and her view of her own ability, not a casting decision. [2](https://ew.com/jenny-mccarthy-says-derek-hough-said-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-dwts-12185454) [3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/english/dancing-with-the-stars-jenny-mccarthy-reveals-how-derek-hough-told-her-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-the-hit-show/articleshow/135181564.cms)

The renewed attention also revisits a question McCarthy has faced before. Entertainment Weekly reported that she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012 she had received repeated invitations to compete but had declined. The recent podcast conversation does not indicate that the show has offered her a new spot or that she is reconsidering. ABC has not announced McCarthy as a contestant for the current season. [2](https://ew.com/jenny-mccarthy-says-derek-hough-said-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-dwts-12185454) [3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/english/dancing-with-the-stars-jenny-mccarthy-reveals-how-derek-hough-told-her-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-the-hit-show/articleshow/135181564.cms)

## Reporting sources
1. [Apple Podcasts: Selma Blair: Her MS Diagnosis Was a RELIEF + Why Returning to Acting Means EVERYTHING](https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/selma-blair-her-ms-diagnosis-was-a-relief-why/id6817467607?i=1000797231170) (2026-10-20)
2. [Entertainment Weekly: Jenny McCarthy says Derek Hough told her ‘there’s no hope’ for her on DWTS](https://ew.com/jenny-mccarthy-says-derek-hough-said-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-dwts-12185454) (2026-10-24)
3. [Times of India: ‘Dancing with the Stars’: Jenny McCarthy reveals how Derek Hough told her ‘there’s no hope for’ her on the hit show](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/english/dancing-with-the-stars-jenny-mccarthy-reveals-how-derek-hough-told-her-theres-no-hope-for-her-on-the-hit-show/articleshow/135181564.cms) (2026-10-25)