'Dancing With the Stars' Derek Hough: Pro Says 'Withdrawing Was Never An Option' Amid Recovery From Injuries [VIDEO]
Derek Hough might not be able to compete during Monday night's episode of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, but he is still very eager to get back in the competition.
Julianne Hough Says Brother Derek's Injuries Are 'Serious'
After Hough suffered multiple injuries last Monday, the dancer has been in recovery all this week. With a broken toe and a sprained ankle, the fan favorite pro has been hoping to return to the show, despite things not looking good.
Hough wrote in his TVGuide.com blog Friday that he is simply taking things "one day at a time." He is taking plenty of medication in order to speed up the healing process.
Rumer Willis Reveals How She Got In Shape for 'Dancing WIth the Stars'
The dancer made it clear that he has no intention of taking himself out of the competition if he doesn't absolutely have to.
"Withdrawing was never an option," he admitted. "Dancing with the Stars is not about me or any pro. It's about the celebrities. It's their journey. I'm part of the journey, but it's not my journey. I want Nastia [Liukin] to have the best possible chance of winning. You know, she makes it look easy, but we put the work in. You see some of it, but I think a lot of people overlook the amount of work we put in and how much goes into putting together a routine and teaching and learning it. She's a very hard worker and very determined, and I definitely feel like she can go all the way. There are other factors in play, but I feel like she can win."
Meanwhile, Liukin is rehearsing with pro Sasha Farber this week in preparation for Monday.
"Nastia's been rehearsing with Sasha this week. I'm still choreographing the routine and I'm in all the rehearsals," Hough wrote. "We're figuring out some different little things to do. We'll make it fun and interesting. Sasha's doing a great job. It's cool because we have the modern Charleston this week and he's got some good ideas."
Luckily, Hough is already off crutches but he is just "trying to be careful" since he still has "a busy year still left." The always busy pro is extra busy this year as he has been flying back and forth between Dancing With the Stars in Los Angeles and the New York Spring Spectacular in New York.
Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
