Alyson Hannigan Was Violently Ill During This Routine On DWTS

She may not have won the glittery Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy on the 32nd season of "Dancing with the Stars," but Alyson Hannigan deserves a special award for her "the show must go on" attitude. The "How I Met Your Mother" star partnered with professional dancer Sasha Farber to compete on the reality show in 2023, making it all the way to the finals — but not without a bucketful of trouble.

Early in the competition, the actor admitted she was stepping far outside her comfort zone when she accepted the challenge of dancing. "I'm doing something that terrifies me," she admitted to People. "It doesn't come naturally, but I'm going to work hard to improve every week." 

In early October, Hannigan and Farber were indeed working hard on their routine in order to delight and amaze on Motown Night, dancing the foxtrot to the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell classic, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." But the day of the competition, Hannigan missed the couple's last rehearsal, and it was touch-and-go on whether or not she would be able to compete on the live show.

While no mountain high or valley low could keep Marvin and Tammi from getting to each other, there was one thing that did almost keep actor Alyson Hannigan from competing on Motown Night for "Dancing with the Stars" — being violently ill.  

Hannigan came down with a migraine the day of the show, which caused an unexpected side effect. "I didn't realize migraines can also cause you to just throw up anything in your body," she told Entertainment Weekly. "I came to work with my own bucket." She also shared that her pro-dancing partner Sasha Farber was a champ as he gave her a ride to the studio and had to pull over four times when the "American Pie" actor got sick. Anti-nausea and migraine medication, plus a healthy dose of electrolyte drinks, eventually allowed the star enough relief to hit the dance floor, she said.

The next day, Farber heaped praise on his partner. "Last night you showed me what a true warrior is like!! From being sick and missing rehearsal, you came together when it counts right before show time and you did it !!!!!!!!!!" he wrote in an Instagram post.

Making it to the final round of "Dancing with the Stars" was a victory for actor Alyson Hannigan, who revealed her one-and-only dance experience before the show was a sole ballet class as a toddler. As the season progressed, however, she not only learned how to trip the light fantastic but gained both confidence and strength, with nothing but good memories of her experience. "To go into this journey with mostly fear, and come out how I feel now is indescribable," she posted to Instagram.

The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actor also came out a whole lot lighter — in more ways than one. "I lost 20 pounds of both weight and emotional baggage," she wrote on social media. "I can't thank [Sasha Farber] enough for helping me shed my insecurities and getting me to the confident and strong place I am today!"

She can also thank him for sharing his partnership for one night — with a bucket.