DWTS pro Mark Ballas says Derek Hough helped him cope after wife's miscarriage: 'Top hardest moments of my life'

Life didn't stop happening to Mark Ballas during his years on Dancing With the Stars — luckily, he had a good friend to help him through the tough times. 

During a visit to the Trading Secrets podcast, Ballas opened up about suffering a loss during his final season on the show, which saw him paired with TikTok sensation, Charli D'Amelio. Ballas credits his longtime friend and DWTS dancer-turned-judge Derek Hough with being someone he could lean on.

"During my season with Charli, my wife and I had a miscarriage," Ballas told host Jason Tartick. "That week, we found that we had a miscarriage and I had to go to rehearsal, and that was a really heavy time. At the time, Derek was one of the only people who knew." 

Aside from Hough and some family members, Ballas also told D'Amelio and it was ultimately that "close group" who "helped [him] get through that." Of his friendship with Hough, Ballas said, "We really are like brothers. And we've been there for each other through each other's ups and downs."

The DWTS alum added that dancing also became a crucial outlet during that difficult period, specifically referencing the Viennese waltz that he and D'Amelio performed, which began with the duo letting go of a yellow balloon. He said the dance was "very much dedicated" to what he was going through at the time.

Ballas — who now shares 13-month-old son Banksi with his wife BC Jean — went on to win that season, becoming a three-time DWTS champion after taking home the Mirrorball trophy for his work with D'Amelio.

"It just goes to show, right? You watch these shows — whether it be Dancing With Stars, The Bachelor, Is It Cake? — and you just don't know where people are at," he observed. "And even though we're providing this entertainment… that was top five hardest moments of my life."

Ballas, who appeared in 20 seasons of the dancing competition show until his retirement last year, continued, "The show was so great with how they helped me navigate that week and stuff like that. But again, like, it's not just a week of grief. I still think about that, and the reason I spun to that is because there are those times during something that feels so, ‘Oh, you’re on Dancing With the Stars. Oh, you’re on Broadway’ but we're all human, and we have human experiences.”

Though it was a struggle to alternate between the "heaviness" of those emotions and having to "provide the highest quality of competition and dancing that I can," Ballas said he felt "lucky to have a good support system."

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Ballas first joined the show as a pro ballroom dancer in season 5.  He went on to win the sixth season with former Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and won season 8 with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson before scoring his final victory with D'Amelio. The champ announced his retirement after the final victory but has already made his return: Ballas recently took to the dance floor with Hough for the DWTS season 33 finale, which saw them perform an Argentine Tango.

You can hear Ballas reflect on DWTS in the podcast above.