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Utah native Derek Hough, ‘Dancing With the Stars’ judge, tells fans he has ‘breakthrough’ case of COVID-19

ABC has not announced whether Hough will be in attendance at the upcoming season finale.

(Eric McCandless | ABC) Utah native Derek Hough, a judge on ABC's competition show "Dancing with the Stars," has come down with COVID-19, he told fans in an Instagram post on Nov. 16, 2021.

A famous Utahn — “Dancing with the Stars” judge Derek Hough — told his fans Tuesday that he’s come down with COVID-19.

In an Instagram message posted to his 3 million followers Tuesday, Hough said, “even though I’ve been fully vaccinated, I’ve been diagnosed with a breakthrough case of COVID.”

Hough, 36 and a Salt Lake City native, added that he’s in quarantine. “I feel OK. I feel strong,” he said. “I’m currently taking advice from medical professionals, doing everything I can to get better as fast as I can.”

Hough, a three-time Emmy winner for his choreography on “Dancing With the Stars,” said he posted the announcement because “I wanted you to hear it straight from me.”

The announcement comes a day after Hough appeared on Monday night’s episode of “Dancing With the Stars.” The season finale is set for next Monday, Nov. 22 — and ABC has not announced whether Hough will be in attendance.

Hough was set to complete a series of performances Sunday at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Performances for Wednesday through Sunday will be rescheduled, he wrote in the Instagram post.

Hough was a pro dancer on 17 seasons of “Dancing With the Stars,” between 2007 and 2016, winning the mirrorball trophy with his celebrity partners six times. For the fall 2020 and this fall’s seasons, he has been a judge on the celebrity dance competition, replacing Len Goodman, who was unable to travel from the United Kingdom to Hollywood because of the COVID-19 pandemic.