Former DWTS Pro’s Team Had ‘Fight’ With Executives Prior to Departure

Heavy/ABC Cheryl Burke's farewell dance almost didn't happen.

Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke retired from the show after season 31. On the April 29 episode of her “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, Burke talked about the farewell dance that she did before exiting the program after 26 seasons. As it turns out, the idea was put forth by her team — not by the powers that be at “Dancing With the Stars.”

“I have to clear the air as well when it comes to this farewell dance that I did was really it was something that wasn’t just given to me by the executives. And I’m not saying this because of anything other than this is just me speaking my truth,” she began.

She went on to say that her agent went to bat for her in hopes of giving her a proper send off from the show.

“Did I really want to leave it like for good and be done? No. I was hoping for a promotion, right? And I didn’t get it. So and obviously my reps knew that I wasn’t going to get it. So they’re like, you’re basically not going to give her a 90 second little dance, like a send off. Like you’re not going to do that because it was a fight. It wasn’t just given to me like, oh, OK, we’re going to do a beautiful send off. It was a fight that my team” she added.

Here’s what you need to know:

Cheryl Burke Performed With 2 Other Pros

Before saying goodbye to “Dancing With the Stars,” Burke enlisted pros Louis Van Amstel and Pasha Pashkov to dance with her during week 10 of season 31.

Prior to the performance, Burke took to Instagram to share that the performance would be her last on the show.

“I am sitting here full of so many conflicting emotions about the words I am about to write,” she began. “Tomorrow night will officially be my final dance as a pro dancer on @dancingwiththestars. This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one,” she continued.

“This show has been my 2nd family since I was 21 years old. The cast, crew & fans have seen me through my highest highs & some of my lowest lows, & I honestly don’t know who I would be today without them. I also know that it is time for me to begin the next phase of my career, although dance will always be a part of me,” she added.

After Burke’s podcast episode went live, some fans took to Reddit to react. At least one DWTS fan specifically mentioned her comments about the farewell dance.

“It was very obvious the farewell dance was pushed by her people,” one person wrote.

Cheryl Burke Wanted to Judge ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Burke was hoping to become a judge on “Dancing With the Stars” after retiring as a pro. However, the opportunity was never offered to her.

“They are very well aware that I want that seat. It’s not that I just want it. I just know that I can contribute because I am an expert in ballroom dancing. I can say that with confidence,” she told Variety in November 2022.

While Burke wasn’t given the chance to judge at the time, it seems she won’t ever get the chance. The reason? Her podcast. In fact, she believes that executives have been upset with her over the pod and that’s the reason that she wasn’t invited to be a part of the Len Goodman tribute on season 32.

“I would assume that some people may not be happy with my podcast that I have,” Burke said on the April 16 episode of the “Amy and T.J. Podcast” when asked about the tribute.

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