DWTS Pro Cheryl Burke Reveals She Was Shut Down After Asking for Judge or Host Role

Getty Cheryl Burke

“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Cheryl Burke quit the show when she couldn’t get a promotion, she revealed during the January 4, 2023 episode of her former partner Chris Jericho’s podcast, “Talk Is Jericho.”

Burke told Jericho that the show was “well aware” that she wanted to “evolve” within the confines of the show. She was done with being a professional dancer, but she was willing to continue with the show in another capacity.

“However, they don’t see a place for me,” Burke shared. “Whether that’s at the judge’s table or as a possible co-host, and that’s okay. I’m grateful, thank you for this experience, but I’m going to move forward.”

The dancer added that she did want to be a judge when Len Goodman decided to retire, but she can’t predict the future.

“I can no longer continue doing this,” Burke added.

There were other reasons to her retiring, including the fact that she’s 38 years old.

“I am also in a period of my life where I am newly divorced and  I am working on me, and I want to learn and evolve in general. … I want to learn again,” she said when asked why she ultimately decided to retire from the ballroom dance competition.

The professional dancer added, “I take a step back, and I’m like, I need to grow, whether that is in the family that is not up to me when it comes to ‘Dancing With The Stars.'”

Cheryl Burke Says She Always Took Judge Comments With a ‘Grain of Salt’

During the podcast, Burke told Jericho that she didn’t want to say judge scores were manipulated, but she did say she always took their scores with a “grain of salt.”

“You’ve got one ballroom judge on the panel,” Burke said, referring to Goodman.

She also said there’s a distinct order of importance when it comes to how a celebrity is presented on “Dancing With the Stars,” starting with the pre-recorded package, then to the interview after the dance. She said the judge scores were the least important part of the whole package.

Burke Started a New Talk Show Titled ‘Diving Deep’

Burke premiered a new talk show on January 10, 2023. The show, which airs on her YouTube channel and Facebook page, is called “Diving Deep.”

The professional dancer announced the show on Instagram on January 3, 2023.

“For those of you who know me, you know I love to diamond paint,” Burke wrote in the announcement. “I’m excited to introduce you to something I’ve been working on for a couple of years now that started when the world was under lockdown during the pandemic (hence my different hairstyles you’re about to witness, ha) my new talk show, ‘Diving Deep!'”

She added, “You will hear stories that you never heard anywhere else from some of my friends who you may have heard of before like AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys, Carrie Ann Inaba from ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ Jack Osbourne, and many more. We will dive deep, get vulnerable, and diamond paint, while we talk about some of their most memorable and vulnerable moments of their lives that we don’t always get to see or hear about amidst the glitz and glamour shown in front of the camera. Take a seat, get your Diamond Painting out, and get ready for ‘Diving Deep!'”

“Dancing With the Stars” is set to return in the fall of 2023. Burke will not be part of the upcoming season.