‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Talks Setting Boundaries After Divorce

Cheryl Burke

ABC "Dancing With the Stars" season 30 finale.

“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Cheryl Burke offered her followers some advice about healing after divorce and taking care of oneself.

Burke shared a video on her Instagram talking about setting boundaries after her divorce, especially when it comes to just being able to say the word “no” to people.

Read on to learn more about what Burke had to say.


Burke Encouraged Her Followers to Stay ‘Authentic’

Burke opened up about her divorce and what the healing process has been like for her.

“I know this might sound basic but thought I’d share anyway in case one person can relate,” Burke wrote in the caption. “I’m currently learning how to set boundaries and to say the word, NO. This has been a daily practice fore me and I have discovered that freedom isn’t the ability to say yes, it’s to say NO. Do you agree?”

In the video, she writes, “If you are newly divorced don’t ever be afraid to say… 1. NO if you’d rather spend time alone than go out with your friends. 2. NO if someone wants your number to take you out on a date but you’re not ready to date yet. 3. NO if your friends try to pressure you into dating again or telling you in order to get over your ex, to get under someone else.”

She also said that it was okay to say no to joining dating apps “if you aren’t ready or not interested in signing up for one.”

Finally, she encouraged her followers to stay authentic to themselves.


Is Burke Returning for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 31?

There’s no definitive answer about whether Burke is set for a season 31 return to “Dancing With the Stars” or not, but there have been some hints that she’ll be one of the professional dancers in the ballroom.

First, Burke was a participant in some sort of promotional photo and video shoot that was for “Dancing With the Stars” season 31 alongside professional dancers Witney Carson, Brandon Armstrong, and multiple other dancers.

Though Burke has insinuated she might retire soon, she has also said that she thinks she’ll be dealing with certain things until she does retire, such as body-shaming from viewers.

During an episode of “Hypochondriactor,” a podcast hosted by Sean Hayes and Dr. Priyanka Wali, Burke talked about the issue and how her sobriety has changed her view of herself and how “Dancing With the Stars” has affected her body image.

“Now that I’m sober, I have body dysmorphia because I’m a dancer,” Burke shared. “I mean, tell me one dancer that doesn’t. So when I look at myself in the mirror and someone says, ‘Oh, you look amazing,’ I see someone who is overweight, and, in my eyes and in my way of judging myself, not amazing. It’s like no matter what I look like.”

She said that she is naturally curvy, but when other people started talking about her weight, she took it personally.

“But also, the nation decided to call me fat about season seven or eight when I got off my birth control and I retained 15 lbs of water weight, which I thought was going to obviously be the opposite – normally people lose weight when they get off birth control,” Burke shared. “So I decided to get off it right at the beginning of the season and I gained weight in less than a week, literally 15 lbs of water weight. And then it was a big deal, like ‘Cheryl’s too fat for TV.’”

Burke told the hosts that she believes her struggle with body dysmorphia will continue until she retires from dancing altogether.

“Dancing With the Stars” season 31 is set to premiere on Disney+ on Monday, September 19, 2022. Derek Hough, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba will all return along with Tyra Banks and new co-host Alfonso Ribeiro.

READ NEXT: Pro Dancers Fans Think Should Be Dropped From DWTS Ahead of Season 31

Read More
,