DWTS Pro Val Chmerkovskiy Hospitalized With Sudden Vertigo During Live Tour

Dancing With the Stars fan favorite Val Chmerkovskiy is recovering after an unexpected hospital stay in Peoria, Illinois that forced him to sit out a stop on the show’s 2026 DWTS Live tour. The 39-year-old pro posted an Instagram video from his hospital bed on March 1 explaining that a sudden bout of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo left him “spinning everywhere” and unable to stand long enough to perform. He said doctors ran blood work and vital checks before diagnosing the dizziness-inducing inner-ear issue, which occurs when tiny crystals in the ear canals shift out of place. Tour organizers quickly alerted ticket-holders that Chmerkovskiy would miss the Prairie Home Alliance Theater show “due to an unforeseen and last-minute illness,” while fellow cast members re-blocked the routine to cover his absence. In his message, the two-time Mirrorball champion assured fans it was only a “small hiccup,” adding, “It takes quite literally me not being able to stand on my feet to keep me off that stage.” He hopes to rejoin the tour when it reaches Milwaukee on March 3. Wife and DWTS colleague Jenna Johnson, along with other series alumni, flooded the comments section with support. Season 34 contestant Dylan Efron wrote, “Vertigo is awful… rest up and get those crystals aligned.” Chmerkovskiy’s health scare comes midway through the show’s ambitious 74-city winter–spring trek, which launched in January and features multiple past champions. His hospitalization echoes earlier tour challenges, including injuries and illnesses that have occasionally sidelined pros over the franchise’s 31-season history. For now, doctors have advised rest and vestibular repositioning maneuvers—simple head exercises designed to guide the rogue ear crystals back into place—so the Ukrainian-American dancer can regain equilibrium and return to the ballroom spotlight. Fans can continue tracking his recovery on social media and the official DWTS Live channels, where updates are posted regularly.