Julia Stiles Says Andy Cohen’s ‘DWTS’ Dig Is ‘Imprinted in My Brain’
Andy Cohen called her "not the greatest dancer on the planet." Now Julia Stiles wants the Mirrorball — and Derek Hough told Cohen to "eat it."
- Andy Cohen said in 2025 that Julia Stiles is “not the greatest dancer on the planet.” She hasn’t forgotten.
- After her Dancing With the Stars debut, judge Derek Hough fired back: “Andy Cohen, you can eat it!”
- Stiles and pro Ezra Sosa scored 18 with a quickstep to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”
Julia Stiles is dancing with a chip on her shoulder — and Andy Cohen put it there.
The 10 Things I Hate About You star, 45, revealed on the Sept. 16 Dancing With the Stars premiere that a jab from the Bravo boss is fueling her run for the Mirrorball.
What did Andy Cohen say about Julia Stiles?
Cohen, 58, said on his radio show Andy Cohen Live in 2025 that Stiles is “not the greatest dancer on the planet.”
The comment stuck. In rehearsal footage that aired during the premiere, Stiles told partner Ezra Sosa, “The quote is imprinted in my brain.”
Then she made a promise: “We’re gonna win the Mirrorball, sit on Andy’s couch and be like, ‘Hey.'”
How did Derek Hough respond to Andy Cohen?
Hough didn’t wait to weigh in. The judge opened his critique of Stiles’ quickstep with a message for Cohen: “Andy Cohen, you can eat it!”
The couple finished with 18 out of 30, tied with Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn for the third-best score of the women’s night.
Why did Julia Stiles dance to ‘9 to 5’?
Every star on premiere week danced to a No. 1 song from the year they were born, and for Stiles, born in 1981, that meant Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”
The timing gave it extra weight: Parton died Aug. 25 at 80. “I’m so honored to be dancing to her music and honoring her legacy, and I want to make her proud,” Stiles said.
Stiles is no stranger to dancing on screen: she starred in the 2001 dance drama Save the Last Dance.
Has Andy Cohen responded?
Cohen has not publicly responded to Hough’s comment or to Stiles’ Mirrorball vow.
See where every couple stands in our DWTS season 35 cast guide, who has already gone home in our elimination tracker, and how to vote for Julia Stiles. More in TV & Reality.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+ and streams the next day on Hulu.
The take
An 18 in week 1 won’t settle the argument, but it puts Stiles in the top half of the women’s leaderboard. The Andy Cohen storyline gives her something most contestants don’t have this early: a rival, and a reason for viewers to vote.
— Bruno Monteiro
Sources: ABC’s live broadcast of the Dancing With the Stars season 35 premiere (Sept. 16, 2026); Andy Cohen Live (2025). Quotes and background as reported by E! News. Photos: Dancing With the Stars (@dancingwiththestars) and Andy Cohen (@bravoandy) on Instagram.
Reported from @dancingwiththestars on Instagram.
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