While dating was “definitely not at the top” of her list, star told PEOPLE at a ‘got milk?’ event that her desire for romance was still “there”
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Julianne Hough is open to love but not actively seeking it.
In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE at the Real Matches Are Back event in Los Angeles, the Dancing with the Stars co-host, 36, revealed she was going with the flow when it comes to dating.
“Honestly, I am just keeping my heart open and kind of just letting the seasons flow and I’m focusing on Dancing With The Stars,” she explained. “But my heart is open, I’m ready for it, but I’m not actively looking for anything.”
While dating was “definitely not at the top” of her list, the television personality said her desire for romance was still “there.” In the meantime, Hough said she was focused on personal growth.
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“For me, I just feel like it’s just part of my life,” she explained. “It’s not like it’s ever a destination. It’s just always going to be a part of my life. I really enjoy going on retreats and connecting and it’s just a part of my life.”
The star — along with the creators of ‘got milk?’ — helped kick off “cuffing season” at the event, where singles connected in person at Mel’s Diner with a “milkshakes and morning jammies-themed” speed dating experience hosted by Kordell Beckham.
Hough’s candid admission about her love life comes after she opened up about her previous three-year relationship with Ryan Seacrest.
During an Aug. 12 episode of Dax Shepard‘s Armchair Expert podcast, the professional dancer confessed that because they started dating amid her rise to fame, she was concerned that it might send the wrong message as Seacrest was already well-established in Hollywood.
“The rug was swept up from underneath me, and I was just flying, and I was experiencing things that I didn’t even know existed,” Hough said. “But then I had this insecurity that I was like, I don’t ever want anybody to think that I’m with him for this reason.”
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In the past, Hough said the American Idol host — who both the actress and Shepard described as “a lovely guy” — had experiences with people “using him,” and she wanted to make it clear that she wasn’t doing the same.
“I overcompensated, was malleable to fit into exactly what somebody needed me to be for them to be happy,” she explained. “And what I’ve realized over the years is I don’t know if I’ve ever truly been in love with someone, but I have loved the feeling of being loved. And so let me be what that needs to be so that I can be loved.
Hough and Seacrest first met when she went on his radio show with her then-boyfriend, Chuck Wicks, but didn’t start dating until the summer of 2010, after she and Wicks split. After Hough and Seacrest ended things in 2013, the pro dancer went on to date hockey player Brooks Laich.
In 2017, the two tied the knot, but later filed for divorce in 2020 and finalized the nature of their split in 2022.
“We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate,” they said in a joint statement to PEOPLE at the time. “We share an abundance of love and respect for one another and will continue to lead with our hearts from that place.”