Derek Hough was not the only choice to replace Billy Bush as the new host of Extra, multiple sources exclusively tell Us Weekly.
“It was between Derek, Wells Adams and Jason Kennedy,” one TV insider reveals.
Adams, 41, is best known as a member of Bachelor Nation. He was a contestant on JoJo Fletcher‘s season of The Bachelorette in 2016 and competed on Bachelor in Paradise later that year before becoming the spinoff’s bartender in 2017.
Adams has also appeared on The Traitors, Worst Cooks in America and Best in Dough.
Meanwhile, Kennedy, 47, is a veteran entertainment journalist who worked at E! from 2005 to 2021. He cohosted E! News as well as the network’s Live From the Red Carpet specials ahead of awards shows and other events.
Us Weekly has reached out to reps for Extra, Adams and Kennedy for comment.
Extra announced on Wednesday, August 13, that Hough, 40, will host the syndicated entertainment news show when its 32nd season premieres on September 8.
“The ballroom has been my stage, my home and my launchpad. Now, I’m stepping into an exciting new spotlight as the host of Extra,” he said in a statement. “I’m truly looking forward to collaborating with this incredible team, diving into this next creative chapter and connecting with fans and audiences in a whole new way.”
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Hough called his new role “an honor” while teasing Extra‘s “bold, fresh new era.”
The Emmy winner rose to fame as a professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars from 2007 to 2016 before becoming a judge in 2020.
“Derek has not only dominated the world of dance — he’s become a beloved household name who has won America’s hearts with his talent, charisma and boundless creativity,” Extra executive producer Jeremy Spiegel said in his own statement on Wednesday. “I am excited to work closely with Derek as he brings his electrifying energy and fresh perspective to Extra.”
Hough’s casting comes after Bush, 53, revealed in May that he was leaving Extra to focus on his “Hot Mics” podcast.
“Extra is culturally iconic. If I had a dollar for every time someone hollered, ‘Extra! Extra!’ to me in the airport or something, I’d buy Warner Bros.,” he said at the time. “It’s been a tremendous honor and privilege to front this show.”
Bush joined Extra in 2019, less than three years after being fired by NBC for his involvement in now-President Donald Trump‘s infamous Access Hollywood tape.
In the leaked audio from 2005, Trump, now 79, bragged about being so famous that he could “do anything” to women, including grabbing them “by the p****.”
An “embarrassed and ashamed” Bush, who laughed with Trump but did not make any inappropriate comments himself, later apologized for acting “foolishly in playing along” with the then-Apprentice host.
