Heavy/ABC/Getty Brooke Burke.
Brooke Burke revealed she was up against every celebrity “under the sun” when she auditioned to be a co-host on “Dancing With the Stars” more than a decade ago.
The season 7 mirrorball champion replaced Tom Bergeron’s original co-host Samantha Harris on the show starting in 2010. She was let go from the show in 2014 after seven seasons.
In October 2023, Burke appeared on Cheryl Burke’s iHeart podcast, “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans,” where she revealed that she was up against multiple big-name celebrities for the coveted hosting gig.
“Everyone was in that audition room,” she told podcast host Cheryl Burke. “It was like everybody under the sun. I was surprised. Wynona Judd, Spice Girls’ Mel B, Maria Menounos, like everybody who’s got chops or recognition, celebrities, musicians, like everyone.”
Judd, Mel B, and Menounos were all contestants on “Dancing With the Stars.” Judd and Menounos both competed on the show while Burke was the co-host.
Brooke Burke Demanded an Audition for the DWTS Host Gig, Even Though She Was Told She Didn’t Have To
GettyCarrie Ann Inaba, Samantha Harris, Tom Bergeron, and Brooke Burke.
Before she joined the ABC celebrity ballroom competition, Burke already had an extensive hosting resume that included E!’s “Wild On,” and CBS’ Rock Star: INXS” and “SuperNova.”
Despite her hosting experience, Burke still felt the need to request an audition for the vacant “Dancing With the Stars” hosting spot.
“There was a massive audition for ‘Dancing with the Stars’ for the host. And to give you insight, I wasn’t asked to audition to host the show,” she said on the podcast. “They weren’t going to have me audition. Not because they weren’t considering me. … They were replacing Samantha, and they went out so far and so wide, I’m talking like, from country music stars to A-listers to comedic actresses. Every single female that was a host – and not – auditioned for this gig.”
Burke revealed that she called the executive producer herself and said she wanted an audition. She was told it wasn’t necessary because producers already knew her hosting skills.
After they told her, “You don’t have to audition Brooke,” she replied, “No, everyone else is going to audition and I want that chemistry test with Tom, and it’s not beneath me and there’s no ego in this and I really want to audition.”
Burke admitted she was “shocked” by how many people auditioned for the gig that ultimately went to her. She also explained she knew she would get it due to her chemistry with Bergeron and her past as a mirrorball winner.
She added, “I knew Tom and I had chemistry and that if they saw us on camera, that it was gonna work. I felt like I needed to earn that gig.”
Brooke Burke Never Thought About Hosting DWTS When She Was a Contestant
In 2021, Burke revealed that she hadn’t originally thought about being a host on “Dancing with the Stars.”
“I never thought about hosting the show. I wanted to dance on the show because I wanted people to know me. And it was scary and I like to do scary things,” she told PopCulture.com. “And then hosting the show was the greatest gig.”
After Burke was fired from the ballroom show, Bergeron told The Hollywood Reporter he had a “different energy” with her replacement, Erin Andrews. He also said he was “very close” with Burke.
“We’re having dinner later this week and, you know, I miss having her as part of the team,” he said at the time. “But I also think that Erin has brought her own effervescent personality. … It gives me more to play with. It’s always good to work with people who are comfortable in their own skin but who can throw you curveballs.”
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