Hayley Erbert and her beloved husband, Derek Hough, had been all smiles Tuesday evening whereas reflecting on her triumphant return to “Dancing With the Stars.”
Practically one 12 months after present process emergency craniectomy, the previous troupe dancer and her real-life associate carried out an emotional routine that left your entire ballroom in tears throughout Dedication Evening.
“I’m doing actually good, particularly after tonight,” Erbert completely advised Web page Six after the present. “I’m simply type of on cloud 9 proper now. It was a wonderful expertise to be again within the ballroom.”
Hough echoed these sentiments, telling us, “There’s a lot gratitude, a lot to be grateful for.”
“To be right here on this room, after a tough and triumphant 12 months … it’s superb,” he added. “Wanting by that [hospital] footage, in that second, we by no means thought in 1,000,000 years we’d be right here.”
Hough and Erbert tied the knot final August, just some months earlier than her near-fatal well being scare.
They danced a tear-filled routine in regards to the expertise Tuesday evening, marking the primary time Erbert has carried out within the “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom because the incident.
The couple advised Web page Six they thought of “loads” of different songs earlier than lastly touchdown on the acoustic model of “Lovely Issues” — a monitor from Benson Boone’s 2024 debut album, “Fireworks & Rollerblades” — which they felt completely captured the essence of what they went by collectively.
“There’s at all times so many songs when selecting the proper one,” Erbert defined. “However I keep in mind him sending me [that] one. I listened to it within the automotive on my own and I simply immediately began crying. I used to be like, ‘That is it. That is the one.’”
Hough chimed in, telling us, “That tune itself, the unique model, I simply listened to the melody a lot. It’s so highly effective, it was nice. However then after I heard the stripped down model, I used to be like, ‘Oh wait, I’m really listening to the lyrics.’”
The “Dancing With the Stars” choose added, “For me, it gave me a distinct which means. The thought of, ‘Please don’t go,’ it was how I felt — how I felt within the second.”
Erbert advised Web page Six that after the dance wrapped, and the cameras had been off, she additionally received fairly emotional backstage as she processed her comeback.
“I used to be a multitude the entire time, simply bawling my eyes out, however solely as a result of it’s so particular to be again,” the “So You Suppose You Can Dance” alum shared.
“There was a time the place I by no means knew if I’d be capable to even dance once more. So to be again right here, doing what I like, with the individual that I like, surrounded by so many individuals which have supported us all through this complete journey, it was actually so particular.”
Final December, Erbert was rushed to the hospital after collapsing backstage, struggling a number of seizures and “basically dying” whereas she and Hough had been performing the ultimate leg of their “Symphony of Dance” tour. Medical doctors advised the duo it was a “miracle” that Erbert was alive and survived the traumatic expertise.
Hough teased that Tuesday evening’s efficiency was “simply kind of the start” of the 2 getting the prospect to share Erbert’s story — from what their household went by throughout that tumultuous time to popping out of it stronger than ever.
“There’s a lot extra that individuals don’t know [about] the struggles, the journey she’s been on,” he shared. “And we had been lucky sufficient to seize that.”
The six-time mirrorball champion confirmed they’ve been engaged on a documentary with a “good pal” of Hough’s who’s an Emmy-winning filmmaker. An official launch date has but to be introduced.
“It was type of an accident, truthfully,” Hough advised us, noting that his pal “filmed fly-on-the-wall” type, following them on tour, in rehearsals, physician’s appointments and extra.
“He was there for the low instances, and the excessive instances, so it was this actually lovely, pure, natural, expertise. After which by the tip of it, it was like, ‘Wait, this can be a actually lovely story.’ It’s a extremely sincere story and it’s a susceptible story that’s unimaginable. Tonight was kind of a glimpse into [it].”
Per Deadline, the Voyeur Verite Presents documentary will likely be directed by Jason Bergh (“The Biggest Love Story By no means Informed”) and produced by Bergh and Stephan Bielecki.
Hough is govt producing the venture alongside Jeff Goldenberg and Courtney Carter, with Matt Bass serving as director of pictures.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
