Partner – Nicole Scherzinger
Lead singer of the Pussy Cat Dolls
DEREK HOUGH Season-by-Season COMPARISON CHARTS. Click here.
Derek and Nicole’s Dance Scores – Scroll to bottom
Statistics and Trivia prepared by @donamadrina
WEEK 1
• Derek and Nicole ranked at the top of the Leaderboard, earning the 1st 9’s of the season.
• Derek’s waltzes typically earn high scores, ranging from 25 (Nicole) to 30 (Brooke).
• Nicole dubbed themselves Sir Derek and Lady Nicole. 
WEEK 2
• Derek and Nicole retained their position at the top of the Leaderboard for the 2nd week in a row.
• Derek and Nicole earned their first 10’s of the season .
• The only other couples to earn 10’s in Week 2 were Stacy/Tony (Season 2) & Joey/Edyta (Season 3).
• No couple has yet to earn 10’s in Week 1.
• Derek and Nicole’s jive earned the encore spot on the Tuesday night Result’s show.
WEEK 3
• Derek and Nicole performed a fun, entertaining Quickstep that broke the rules, according to the judges.
• On the results show, Derek performed a fierce, fiery, passionate Pasodoble with Chelsie Hightower.
WEEK 4
• This week, scores were given for both Technicality and Performance. A total of 60 points were possible.
• Nicole was upset with her rumba performance this week, though the scores were high. Hear her comments.
WEEK 5
• Derek and Nicole reclaimed the top position on the leaderboard with a tango for their Movie Night performance.
• The crowd erupted in a standing ovation after the dance.
• Len gave out his first 9 of the season, and said their tango was the best dance of the season.
• Carrie Ann said they were “super stars”.
• Bruno claimed they danced to perfection; “…two players at the top of their game!”
• Their score of 29 was the highest score of the season to date.
• This score tied with Brooke’s in season 7- week 5, as Derek’s earliest near perfect score.
• Derek danced with fellow pros to Debi Nova’s Drummer Boy on the result’s show.
WEEK 6
• Derek and Nicole remained on top of the leaderboard for the second week in a row.
• Len criticized their sexy samba for lack of voltas and botafogos. ????
• Len awarded only a 7 to their dance, and to every other couple that night, except Chad/Cheryl. (8)
• In addition to their regular dance, couples performed in a Swing Dance Marathon.
• For the second season in a row, Derek and his partner won the marathon, earning an additional 10 points.
• Derek continues to be the only pro who has taken all of his multiple partners to week 7 in the competition.
WEEK 7
• Derek and Nicole remained in 1st Place for their waltz, though tied with another couple.
• Team Gaga (the team Derek was on) won the Cha Cha competition.
• This is the 4th season in a row that Derek has been on the winning team.
• Season 7 – PasoDoble, Season 8 – Team Tango, Season 9, Team Argentine Tango
• Team Gaga performed the encore the next night.
WEEK 8
• Derek and Nicole remained in 1st Place, combining their two scores to total 59 out of 60.
• They earned their first 30 of the season for their 50’s Pasodoble.
• The audience was on their feet for both their Foxtrot and their Pasodoble.
• Derek was praised for the choreography of the 50’s Pasodoble. See Choreography on this site.
• Tom quipped that Derek’s challenge for next season will be a Quickstep from the Renaissance.
• Derek and Nicole performed the encore of their Pasodoble.
• Derek has now taken all of his partners to Week 9, except Shannon Elizabeth in Season 6.
WEEK 9
• Derek and Nicole were at the top of the leaderboard again, this time tied with another couple.
• Yeah! Derek and Nicole made it to the finals.!!!!!!!
• They received their second 30 of the season for their sultry Argentine Tango.
• The standing ovation and roar from the crowd for their Tango went on and on and on.
• Prince cleared his song “Kiss” for them to use for their Cha Cha, indicating that it was for Nicole and Nicole only.
• At this point in the season, Derek’s average is 27.16, compared with 26.54 for his championship season with Brooke.
• Derek suffered a neck and back injury during the prior week, making it hard for him to practice.
• Monday of this week was Derek’s birthday.
WEEK 10
• Derek and Nicole WON Season 10 of DWTS, breaking the trend of the Olympian always winning.
• This win means that the Ballas Hough family now have won 6 trophies, two a piece.
• Derek won his 1st trophy on November 25, 2008, his 2nd trophy on May 25, 2010, in the 25th year of his life.
• Thanks to @catebabygirl for noting the above stat.
• Derek & Nicole danced the dance the judges felt needed redemption from earlier in the season, their Rumba.
• The judges docked them for an illegal lift that occurred when Derek thought the music had stopped.
• Their amazing Freestyle was a combination of Ballroom and Latin: Lindy Hop, Salsa, Jive, Quickstep.
• An improperly executed lift cost them 3 points from an otherwise perfect Freestyle.
• All 3 couples danced the Argentine Tango, with Derek & Nicole earning the top possible score.
• Derek and Nicole earned their 3rd perfect score for the season for their energetic Jive to Proud Mary.
Derek and Nicole’s Weekly Dance Scores
| WEEK | DANCE | SCORES | RANKING |
| 1 | V. Waltz | 9-7-9=25 | Ranked #1 out of 11 couples |
| 2 | Jive | 10-8-10=28 | Ranked #1 out of 11 couples for 2nd week in a row |
| 3 | Quickstep | 8-6-9=23 | Ranked #2 out of 10 couples / tied with one other couple |
| 4 | Rumba | T – 9-8-8=25 P – 8-8-9=25 |
Ranked #2 out of 9 couples |
| 5 | Tango | 10-9-10=29 | Ranked #1 out of 8 couples |
| 6 | Samba | 9-7-10=26 | Ranked #1 out of 7 couples |
| Swing | 10/10 | Took 1st Place in the marathon. | |
| 7 | Waltz | 9-9-9=27 | Tied for 1st Place with Evan & Anna |
| Team Gaga | 9-9-9=27 | Team Gaga won the Cha Cha competition | |
| 8 | Foxtrot | 10-9-10=29 | Ranked #1 out of 5 couples by 1 point. |
| 50’s Pasodoble | 10-10-10=30 | Ranked #1 out of 5 couples for the era dances. | |
| 9 | Argentine Tango | 10-10-10=30 | Ranked #1 out of 4 couples. |
| Cha Cha | 10-9-10=29 | Tied for 1st Place with Evan & Anna | |
| 10 | Rumba | 9-9-10=28 | Tied for 2nd Place with one other couple. |
| Freestyle | 9-9-9=27 | Ranked #1 out of 3 couples. | |
| Argentine Tango | 30 | Received the top score. 30, 28, 26 available | |
| Jive | 10-10-10=30 | Ranked #1 out of 2 couples. |
