Derek Hough Gushes Over 'Amazing' Daughter Everly Capri: 'I Definitely Needed a Girl in My Life'

Derek Hough is loving every moment with his new daughter, Everley Capri, who was born on December 29, 2025.

"It's been amazing! I was supposed to go to the Grammys, and I was presenting a check at this charity and all these different things, and I got all dressed up, and as I'm walking out the door, I look back and look at my wife and baby, and I went to say goodbye to my daughter. I held her, and she fell asleep in my arms! I was like, 'Well, I guess I am not going to the Grammys!' I stayed home, and I took my suit off and stayed there," the dancer, 40, who teamed up with Barilla Protein+ to build on the pasta brand’s viral Timer playlists and launch Protein+ Training Timers, micro feel-good workouts you can complete in the exact time it takes to cook Protein+ pasta, exclusively tells OK!.

The Dancing With the Stars judge, who is married to Hayley Erbert, is "enjoying" this time with his little one. "It's only been four weeks, and I am like, 'She's changed so much in four weeks! This is crazy!' I find myself being very emotional all the time. I've always been kind of an emotional guy, but I am loving this. My wife was born to be a mama. She's so incredible," he gushes.

Hough says he weirdly "feels a little more grounded" since becoming a parent. "She is the center of our world, and everything else is kind of secondary," he says. "I like to manifest things and create things and not wait for stuff to happen, but now I am like, 'I want to go home and just be in the moment.' It gives you this sense of peace and just knowing you can sit at home with your family and feel equally as fulfilled."

Hough, who grew up with four sisters, is "stoked" to be a girl dad. "All the gifts coming in — the little tutus and clothes — I am like, 'I love this!' There's a special bond between a daughter and father," he shares. "I can't wait for it and to have that connection. I feel more confident and comfortable having a daughter. I might have felt the same with a son, but I definitely needed a girl in my life for sure."

Since Hough wants to help out his wife and child, it makes perfect sense that he teamed up with Barilla Protein+ to build on the pasta brand’s viral Timer playlists and launch Protein+ Training Timers – micro feel-good workouts you can complete in the exact time it takes to cook Protein+ pasta.

"She's in full mom mode of keeping this little one alive, so I want to support her in any way I can! This past month, I've been cooking more," he dishes. "With Barilla Protein+, you don't have to sacrifice anything to get the great taste in the protein. It's delicious, it tastes great."

Hough also created Training Timers, available on YouTube and inspired by a different pasta shape, it makes it easy to move like a pro and fuel like one: ~10 minutes to cook, ~10 minutes to move, with 10/10 taste.

"While your pasta is cooking, there's little time to get a workout in. While your pasta is cooking, you can get in a 10-minute workout. You don't need any equipment, you just go to the side and use your body weight, stretch out and get your heart rate up and feel good! Then, the pasta is done cooking, and you're eating and feel great!" he explains.

"For me, it's really maximizing our time. I'm a new dad, I'm dancing, I am going on tour this summer, I work for Extra, I do all these different things, so these little pockets are really important. I also want to make it accessible for everyone. I think sometimes people get intimidated by working out — they think they need to go to the gym or buy special equipment or do all these things, and I am like, 'You only need 10 minutes while your pasta cooks!' Go to the corner and do some movement. I'll guide you through it, and it gets you going!" he adds.

Since dancing and movement are important to the TV personality, he wants people to feel "great" in their day-to-day lives. "Working with Barilla has been fantastic. It's great tasting! They have a new shape called Protein+ Stars, star-shaped pasta, which is perfect because I am on Dancing With the Stars," he quips. "It's a lot of fun, it's great."

As for what people can expect with the workouts, they lend themselves to the pasta shape. "Spaghetti is more about the mobility and flexibility and keeping your body limber and moving. I often say motion is lotion — when you're moving, you keep everything sort of moving and you don't get stiffened up," he says. "The penne workout is about strength, and there's different variations. The goal is to not to intimidate, but welcome people in. I want people to move and feel good! Give yourself eight to 10 minutes for yourself!"