“Dancing With the Stars” judge Derek Hough is known for his upbeat, can-do attitude as well as his ballroom skills. However, he admittedly struggled with his mental health at the end of 2023 and into 2024.
Shortly after DWTS season 32 concluded, the Houghs were on tour when his wife, Hayley, suffered a near-fatal cranial hematoma. Though she had a long physical recovery, Derek had to mentally overcome his own challenges.
Now, he’s bravely speaking up about the experience and what inspired him to return to the stage.
Derek Hough Harbored Guilt After His Wife’s Health Emergency
Right now, Derek and Hayley Hough are in the middle of their Symphony of Dance encore tour. It’s a follow-up to their 2023 tour, which ended in Hayley’s medical emergency that nearly ended her career.
Since Hayley’s cranial hematoma happened in the middle of their last tour, Derek admitted he faced his own mental hurdles when it came to performing.
“I couldn’t even imagine doing it, honestly,” the DWTS judge told Parade. “That first month, the thought of it, it just didn’t feel right. I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I can even get on stage again. I’m so angry or shameful or guilty. I feel so guilty about what happened.’ And dance was the cause of it, essentially.”
Hayley was ultimately the reason he overcame his block. She wanted to step back into the rehearsal studio and wanted her husband beside her.
“Instantly, when I started dancing with her, feeling her weight move around,” Derek Hough remembered. “The way it feels when you dance with something, the connection, the push and the pull, that sort of ebb and flow, it felt so nice. That’s one of things I love about dancing so much is that connection, is the partnership. And I felt that straight away with her.”
He told the outlet he forgot the choreography, but Hayley never did. He was in awe that she had remembered the steps, even amid her health concerns.
“That fear or resentment of dance dissipated when we connected,” Derek Hough recalled.
The Show Must Go On
While speaking with EntertainmentNow, Derek Hough explained what fans can expect from his ongoing Symphony of Dance tour. It’s the same tour from the 2023 show, but taken to the next level with more numbers and refinements.
“The cast of dancers, they are literal superhuman beings that do things with their bodies that I didn’t even know were possible. It’s incredible. They’re so talented, they’re so hungry, they have so much energy. It’s really special,” the DWTS judge shared.
As a talented musician, Derek Hough also enjoyed writing a song for the tour.
“I wrote a song about being a judge on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” the 41-year-old added. “It’s a fun, sort of a big Broadway, playful thing where I poke fun at myself about the scoring and the differences between being a pro and being a judge. It’s really fun. People who are fans of the show will really get a kick of it because there’s lots of inside jokes.”
Tickets for the ongoing Symphony of Dance tour can be purchased on the official website.
