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Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” judge Len Goodman announced on the November 14 live show that he would be retiring at the end of season 31. Fans immediately started talking about who they think the show will add to the panel in Goodman’s place — and one pro in particular has maybe been dropping some hints.
Cheryl Burke Teased That She Has Big News to Announce ‘Soon’
During an Instagram live Q&A with her subscribers, Burke was asked if she would go back to competing professionally in the ballroom world after she retires from the show. To that, she had an emphatic no, but she did tease that she hopes to have “news to announce soon” that will keep her on fans’ TV screens.
Burke said:
No, that would be a negative [on returning to competing]. Competition is a whole other beast than “Dancing With the Stars.” I would be, as a woman in the competitive world, especially as a pro, you retire, I would say early 30s. I’m in my late 30s … I do need to listen to my body, which is saying it’s time. It’s time. It is time to hang up those dance shoes.
Thank you for all your sweet comments about the dancing, I’m going to miss you guys too. But hopefully, I’ll still be gracing your television screens, so we’ll see. We’ll see if I have any new news to announce soon. I’m hoping, just waiting. Waiting for it to happen, so hopefully it’ll happen soon.
Fans Think Burke Has Been Hinting at Taking Over for Goodman
On Reddit, fans think that all of Burke’s retirement talk that includes her saying she would like to be part of the show in some capacity means that she’s been hinting at joining the judges’ panel.
After her elimination in season 31, Burke told “Entertainment Tonight” in a post-show interview, “Give me another job on the show. There’s lots of different titles. But I have had the same one since 2006. Hopefully, it’s within this family — if not, that’s OK too — but, like anybody, you know, you like to get promoted.”
She added, “I mean, with no commercial breaks, I think they can squeeze another [judge] in there, right?”
In the Reddit thread about her after Goodman announced his retirement, the fans are convinced she’s going to be announced as a new judge.
“Cheryl is like THERE’S MY JOB NEXT YEAR,” wrote the original poster, to which a commenter replied, “Literally my first thought when Len said he was retiring.”
The original poster also later wrote, “I feel like Cheryl has been campaigning for this over the last year,” to which a second commenter replied, “Agree, I feel like she must’ve had insight Len was leaving hence her recent announcement!”
Another fan wrote, “Cheryl has been campaigning online and on her podcast… essentially begging to be a judge lmao.”
One fan wrote, “Cheryl deserves to be a judge.”
Several other fans were in agreement, with one writing, “I love Cheryl! She has good critiques,” and a second one writing, “Please be Cheryl, she has paid her dues.”
Hopefully all will be revealed when Goodman does his final episode, which is the “Dancing With the Stars” season 31 finale, airing Monday, November 21 at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on Disney Plus.