It was incredibly moving to see Hayley Erbert Hough make her ballroom return. Hayley, the wife of Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough, is back for the first time since her emergency craniectomy last December 2023. And her happy hubby praised her ballroom comeback as a miracle.
The pair took the stage together on the October 15 episode of DWTS. They danced together to Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” on Dedication Night. The performance was touching and poignant and a beautiful celebration of their love and their joy at being back on the dance floor together.
A beautiful journey back to the ballroom
Before Derek and Hayley took to the stage, Derek shared a look back at their bittersweet journey. He recalled the day everything changed for them after tying the knot in August 2023. The couple were on the final leg of the Symphony of Dance tour after DWTS 32 and everything came to a “screeching halt” in the worst way.
Derek recalled how he was on stage and Hayley was supposed to come out. Instead, the stage manager came out and said she wasn’t coming because she was having full seizures and “essentially dying,” Derek recalled. “It’s really hard to even put into words other than just pure fear.”
Hayley was rushed to the hospital and needed to have surgery due to a severe brain bleed. Derek recalled being eternally grateful and relieved that when she awoke, she remembered him. “She was my wife,” Derek said. “And then the journey began. I was so impressed by her strength. She’s my beautiful miracle.”
Hayley said she was stubborn and pushed herself to not only walk but dance again. The two then took to the floor in an emotional performance to rousing applause.
After the dance, Derek gushed, “This dance is just a moment for us to be together on stage doing what we love. The fact that we’re able to dance again is nothing short of a miracle.”
