Derek Hough was seriously injured during 'Holidays with the Houghs' special performance but 'kept going'
What would you do if you were injured onstage in the middle of a performance? 'World of Dance' star Derek Hough did something very few people can actually manage.
The 34-year-old revealed in a special episode of 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' that he accidentally hurt himself while performing musical numbers in the NBC Christmas special 'Holidays with the Houghs' and no one noticed.
“I just finished a 56 city tour, out on stage for two hours nonstop. And then the very first move of the special, I came out and did a little James Brown split and I ripped my hamstring,” he told the talk show host, alongside his sister and fellow pro-dancer, Julianne Hough.
Instead of letting the pain get the better of him, he came up with a quick fix. "Taped it up with duct tape and then just kept going," he told Kelly and added how he was still close to tears while introducing the show but he pretended it didn't affect him.
"Luckily you can't really tell but… the tears rolling down my eyes while I'm smiling," the Emmy Award-winning choreographer joked.
Not just the torn hamstring injury, Derek also dealt with another "severe" and "sharp pain" in his abdomen last November that led to emergency surgery to remove his appendix after things just didn't feel "right".
Fans were impressed with his demeanor and praised him for giving his best shot on stage. "People in show business usually tell each other 'break a leg!' for good luck. Well, Derek Hough literally did that!," one viewer commented.
The fan added, "He's one of the hardest working dancers in the entertainment industry. Just take care of yourself, buddy."
With his efforts, the show was truly memorable and the brother-sister duo's performance to Christmas classics was worth the watch. After the performance, the two took to Instagram and posted a picture from the holiday special to express their gratitude.
"Grateful is an understatement! @derekhough and I had the most magical experience creating #HolidaysWithTheHoughs, and feel so full of love after seeing all of YOU have as much fun watching it as we did making it!" the caption read.