Derek Hough And A DWTS Winner Have The Same Prediction About One Star Making The Finale (And I Totally Agree)

From left to right: Derek Hough on Dancing with the Stars and Joey Graziadei on RJ Decker. — (Image credit: Disney/Christopher Willard and Disney/Dana Hawley)

While there are obvious frontrunners on the season of Dancing with the Stars airing on the 2026 TV schedule, I’ve always thought Connor Wood could make a deep run on the show. First of all, never underestimate the power of an internet personality. Secondly, and more importantly, he’s so committed to the process and improving so much, it’s easy to see him making it all the way to the end. It turns out I’m not the only one who thinks this, as both Derek Hough and a DWTS champion have predicted that the man who goes by Fibula online will make it all the way to the end.

Derek Hough Really Thinks Connor Wood Will Be In The Finale

I feel like it's a big deal when a judge makes a prediction about Dancing with the Stars, so I’m not taking Derek Hough’s words lightly. During an interview with TV Insider, he boldly claimed that he really thinks Connor Wood and his partner Rylee Arnold will be in the finale, stating:

I believe he’ll be in the final. There’s a glow around them. The two of them, I think they’re such a great partnership.

Connor Wood clapping and Rylee Arnold holding his right shoulder on Dancing with the Stars. — (Image credit: Disney/Christopher Willard)

Wood and Arnold really are a wonderful pair, and it’s very clear they adore each other. They are also very funny and endearing, which makes them so gosh darn likable. That could be part of the reason people are voting for him, and why they’ll continue to. Hough made that point clear too, saying:

Joey Graziadei Thinks Connor Wood Making The Finale Is An ‘Almost Guarantee’

While Derek Hough saying Wood could make the final is huge, there’s another big name who thinks the comedian has what it takes. That person is Joey Graziadei, Season 33’s winner. Speaking to TV Insider about the podcast host, the man who won with Jenna Johnson said:

I will almost guarantee that he makes the finale. I think he can. I think that he’s the perfect blend of his dancing has gotten better, and I would be shocked if he doesn’t have the votes. He seems online to have a really big army behind him and Rylee. He’s just doing it so well.

Joey went on to say that he thinks people can see how committed Wood is to this process, as well as his improvement. In short, “he is what this show is about.” And you know what? Graziadei would know. He won his season of Dancing with the Stars, and he also came in with very little experience. The Bachelor star brought that up too, explaining:

That’s kind of the route I fell under. No one expected me to be good, and I got better throughout, and I think that’s part of the things people look for on that show.

I think Graziadei makes such a good point here, plus he knows from experience. He wasn’t the person on his season with the most dance experience. However, he was so solid all season; he improved big time, and he won. That’s exactly why Connor Wood could make it to the finale too.

Why I Think These Guys Are Right About Connor Wood

The co-host of Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast has shown massive improvement over the weeks, and the joy he and his partner are getting out of this process is infectious. I mean, I wanted to scream with excitement just like they did when they got their first tens (and an eight from Shirley Ballas, which is high praise from her considering how low she scored other contestants) on Halloween Night.

Also, you can’t look past the passionate fans Wood and Arnold have. He has 1.4 million followers on TikTok, and she has 2.1 million. Their videos consistently get millions and millions of views, and we cannot forget the ultra-viral situation that was launched by him saying he had a crush on Jennifer Lawrence and her replying that she saw him on 8th Avenue drinking a smoothie and he paid her no mind.

All I’m saying here is it’s obvious people ride for Papa (which is a nickname Wood has had to try and explain many times), and that mixed with his commitment and improvement on the show is a recipe made for a finalist.

Now, to see if he can go the distance, you can watch Dancing with the Stars every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

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Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.