Derek Hough is picking up a few tips from one of Hollywood’s heartthrobs.

Ahead of season 34 of Dancing With the Stars, the dance pro-turned-judge—whose sister is co-host Julianne Hough—shared that he’s been preparing to enter his “zaddy” era with the help of one of the celebrity dancers hitting the dance floor this fall: Dylan Efron.

“I’m gonna be a daddy and maybe even a zaddy,” Derek exclusively told E! News of the ABC competition series’ upcoming season. “If I can do a few more sit-ups, I can get Dylan Efronabs. I’ve already been asking him, I’m like, ‘Hey dude, what are you doing man? Am I eating the wrong things here because my abs do not look like that.’”

Indeed, the Traitors alum will be one of the many stars who will compete for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy this fall, joined by Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Hilaria Baldwin, Danielle Fishel, Jordan Chiles, and many more.

As for what fans can expect from the upcoming installment?

“I think the fans can expect a competitive season,” Derek—whose wife Hayley Erbert is pregnant with their first baby—teased. “A season with a lot of social media because a lot of the cast have that down.”

“You’re not just gonna get the show, you’re gonna get a 24/7 show,” he added. “Its gonna be competitive because I think everybody’s here to do well, to learn to dance and to win.” (For more from the upcoming cast of DWTS, tune into E! News tonight, Sept. 3, at 11 p.m.)

Because in past years, the 40-year-old admitted that wasn’t always the case, noting, “I think sometimes people join the show and they’re like, ‘Yeah, I wanna promote something.’ No, the people that are here, they’re here because they like the show.”

And while Derek gets an occasional sneak peek into the celebrity dancers joining the show before they’re announced, the choreographer prefers finding out with the rest of the world.

“I just found out about somebody last night and I’ve known some people since May,” he said. “But I don’t try to find out. I see people trying to figure it out and I guess that’s kinda fun, but my personal preference is finding out.”

 “Let’s all experience this together because you’re gonna know the cast forever after this point,’ he added. “Let’s savor the mystery.”

But for their part, Alix and Robert—whose involvement in the show was confirmed a few months prior—haven’t been able to stop gushing about how excited they are to compete.

“I am over the moon to be joining Dancing With the Stars this season,” Robert, whose sister Bindi Irwin won season 21 of the competition series, told E! News in April. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m ready to hit the ballroom. Let’s go, let’s do this. I don’t know how my dance moves are, but I’m gonna give it 110 percent anyway.”

Meanwhile, Alix has been dreaming of this moment since childhood.

“I’ve always been a fan of Dancing with the Stars,” the influencer said on Good Morning America. “I used to watch it when I was so young with my grandma, and she would always say to me, ‘Maybe one day you could be on there.’”

“I was so in love with dance,” she added. “I’m ready to challenge myself, I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun. So it was a very obvious answer to say yes."

Ahead of season 34 of DWTS, keep reading for more on the all-star cast…

—Reporting by Emily Curl

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