Heavy/ABC Cheryl Burke thinks DWTS pros need a "plan B."
Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke shared her advice for the current pros who are part of the show. On the July 12 episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, Burke talked about how the dancers’ positions on the show aren’t guaranteed.
“I will tell the pro dancers my advice. This will be the last thing before we have to stop. But my advice is to start creating a plan B for yourself. Because honestly, nothing lasts forever, especially ‘Dancing With the Stars,'” Burke said.
“We’re all getting older and, regardless, they already have a replacement in mind. And it’s just the way it is. You could still do your job, still do it at the best ability that you can and still be friendly with everyone, but don’t ever think that this too will not happen to you,” she added.
Burke was a pro for 26 seasons before announcing her retirement after season 31. She won two Mirrorball Trophies during her time on the show.
There’s also the case of Keo Motsepe who hasn’t been on the show since season 29. He hasn’t spoken out about his absence, but some fans are upset that he’s no longer part of the series. It’s unknown if Motsepe’s departure was his own choice.
Some Pros Have Talked About a Desire to Return to the Show but Producers Made Other Decisions
Burke has interviewed quite a few ballroom pros on her podcast and a few who are no longer affiliated with the show have spoken out. For many, the decision to leave wasn’t their own.
For example, on the October 30, 2023, episode of Cheryl Burke’s “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, former pro Lacey Schwimmer said her time on the show ending wasn’t her choice.
“The show decided not to bring me back. When everyone’s like, ‘why haven’t you come back?’ It’s not my choice,” she told Burke. “It’s never been my decision,” she added.
More recently, Damian Whitewood told Burke that he “didn’t get asked to come back” for the All-Stars season. He danced with Pamela Anderson on season 10 and never returned to the show after that. Whitewood said that he loved the show and was hoping to continue on.
Former DWTS Pro Edyta Śliwińska & Her Husband Alec Mazo Left the Show Due to Uncertainty
On the February 5, 2024, episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, former DWTS pro Edyta Śliwińska explained why she and her husband, Alec Mazo, left the program.
“One of the reasons that me and my husband left really early — and it’s not a criticism of the show, it’s just the nature of the business — there are so many things in [the] entertainment business that are out of your control,” she said. “Starting from the casting process. You have no say whether you’re going to be picked up or not,” Śliwińska added.
As many pros have expressed over the years, they don’t find out if they’re part of an upcoming seasons until weeks before the show returns to air. For Śliwińska, this prohibited her and her husband from securing other work because they had to wait until the last minute, essentially.
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Former DWTS Pro Advises Cast to Have ‘Plan B’