Derek Hough Never Leaves 'DWTS' For Long

ABC's Dancing With The Stars has been a staple of the network since it began over 10 years ago. It's been on so long that the dancers have as many fans as the stars who appear on the show. And, few of the professional dancers are more popular or beloved than Derek Hough. He has used the show as a platform to showcase his talent, even winning an Emmy. With a handful of new projects on his plate, though, Hough has decided not to return for the 24th season. But, will Derek Hough return to Dancing With The Stars for Season 25? Only time will tell, though the successful dancer seems to always find his way back.

This is not the first time Hough's taken time off the competition show because his plate got too full. Hough skipped Season 22 and instead spent time on Broadway, performing in Singing In The Rain. Fans were sad to see him disappear from the show and thrilled when he decided to return for Season 23. For Hough, his projects continue to grow but Dancing With The Stars appears as though it will always be his family and his home base.

Hough has a ton of new projects on his plate. He's doing everything from touring with his sister Julianne Hough (pictured above) to judging a new dancing reality show called World Of Dance. Not to mention the millions of side projects Derek works on in between: He's partnered with Flonase allergy medicine, directed a new Michael Bublé music video, and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

It makes sense why Hough has decided to bow out of Season 24 of Dancing With The Stars. And, while there is no guarantee of him returning, fans are hopeful Hough will find his way back to the ballroom. It's not quite DWTS without him.

At least, though, he still finds the time to tune into the DWTS happenings. When Nick Viall's promo photo came out from the show, Hough poked fun at the look. The Instagram caption for the below photo reads: "Looks like @nickviall got into my DWTS closet:)) Good luck on this season brotha #bachelor #dwts #whoworeitbetter."

Dancing With The Stars is pretty much family to Hough. It literally is a show that features his family. His sister, Julianne, is a judge on the program. The other professional dancers have become close friends of his. If his schedule were to free up, it wouldn't be shocking for him to return.

There are of course many reasons Derek may not return next season. Dancing With The Stars demands a lot of time from the professional dancers. Not only do they preform during the live taping, but they also must train a celebrity during the week. With Derek's career showing no signs of slowing down, he may not have the time to return. Still, I am hopeful. Derek has left the show only to return before.

A while back, Derek blogged about what the show has meant to him for TV Guide, and fans will like what he had to say: "I didn't think I was going to come back to the show a couple times now and ended up coming back. That show will always be my family."

So hopefully this break isn't a permanent one. And, at least fans can watch him perform elsewhere even if he's skipping Monday night DWTS time.