Bachelor Nation’s Tanner Courtad is setting the record straight about his rumored romance with Dancing With the Stars co-host Julianne Hough.
During an episode of iHeartRadio’s Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Tanner revealed how the unexpected connection began back in 2024, and admitted their relationship was much shorter than fans may have imagined.
Tanner explained that he was attending DWTS to support his friend Joey Graziadei when professional dancer Ezra Sosa approached him with an interesting proposition.
“I was sitting in the front row, and Ezra came over to me. He goes, ‘Hey, our host thinks you’re cute. Can I give you her number?’” Tanner recalled.
Naturally, Tanner was surprised by the offer. He even questioned if it was a prank. Tanner and Julianne exchanged messages before meeting in person in the parking lot. The pair eventually decided to go on a date, which included taking Julianne’s dog to the park and grabbing sushi.
Their outing didn’t stay under the radar for long. In December 2024, paparazzi photographed the two spending time together at The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City, California.
“It was very short-lived,” Tanner admitted. “Julianne’s great, but it was never anything more than just, like, a single, singular date.”
“I blew it, guys.”
He also addressed speculation that he had something romantic going on with The Valley star Brittany Cartwright. However, Tanner shut down those rumors, explaining that Brittany was always just a friend.
“Brittany’s great … it was always just a friendship. There was never anything more there.”
