TV News

Dancing With The Stars pro Derek Hough isn't about to let his neck injury ruin his chances of winning the TV show's mirror ball trophy - he is confident he will be back on the dancefloor come Monday (12Nov12). The three-time champion had to sit on the sidelines and watch celebrity partner Shawn Johnson take the floor with his replacement, pal Mark Ballas, on the show on Monday night (05Nov12). But Hough, who choreographed the pair's routine, is itching to get back on his feet and he tells entertainment news site Zap2it.com that doctors have cleared him to dance again, even though he's not entirely in the clear. Hough explains, "I got my proper diagnosis this morning... I have to get surgery on it eventually, but I found out dancing is not going to do more damage... It will probably still be painful. Some days will be worse than others, but now that I know it's not going to do more damage, I have peace of mind. Pain is something I can always push through." And despite sitting this week out, Johnson and her former partner Ballas found their spark again - the gymnast earned her first perfect score this season. Hough admits he can't wait to dance with Johnson again, especially after the triumphant performance. He admits, "Today is the first day it feels I can go back, and I'm ready to go."