Some moments feel too perfectly timed to be anything but fate. That’s exactly what Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert experienced in London when an ordinary stroll past the Royal Albert Hall turned into a night they’ll never forget. What began as a casual walk down memory lane suddenly became a heart-stopping coincidence that brought both of them to tears.
As Derek explained in a video shared to Instagram, he was reminiscing with Hayley about competing at the Royal Albert Hall years ago when she suddenly wondered aloud about Ryan O’Neal — the voice behind Sleeping at Last. “When is he performing here?” she asked. Derek checked, only to discover the answer was almost too uncanny to believe: “Today. Literally today.”
That realization left them stunned. Within hours, the couple found themselves seated in the historic venue, watching O’Neal perform to a captivated, sold-out audience. Derek called it “unbelievable” and admitted the emotional coincidence had them both crying during the show. “I have so many memories of this place,” he wrote, “and now another unforgettable night. I love when the universe just does its thing.”
For Derek and Hayley, the connection ran far deeper than chance timing. Just two years earlier, they had poured their hearts into co-directing and starring in the official music video for Sleeping at Last’s hauntingly beautiful hit, “Turning Page” — a song that had already been a personal part of their love story. The fact that O’Neal happened to be performing on the very day they walked by felt like more than coincidence.
The music video itself had been a labor of love. Derek and choreographer Philip Chbeeb envisioned it as a poetic dance through life’s fleeting journey — a reminder that love, in all its impermanence, is what gives meaning to our time on earth. O’Neal later said it exceeded every expectation he had: “It was perfect. A million times more than I hoped for.”
That’s why this London surprise hit so hard. For Derek and Hayley, it was as if the universe had aligned their personal history, their creative work, and their love story in a single breathtaking moment. “We just looked at each other,” Derek said, “and we both started crying.”
Backstage after the show, O’Neal hugged Hayley with a smile: “It makes me so happy that you are here.” For the couple, it was more than a concert. It was a message, a reminder, and perhaps even a sign that their journey together is guided by something bigger than coincidence.
