Heavy/Getty Cheryl Burke said she's done with DWTS.
Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke is unlikely to ever return to the show in any capacity.
“I’m never going to perform on the show, not just because of their decision, but I don’t think I’d ever want to perform on the show again, not out of ego, just because like I, it’s done,” Burke said on the April 29 episode of her “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast.
Burke announced her decision to retire from the show in 2022.
“This chapter has, is, it’s shut down, it’s shut down. We’re gonna move on to the next chapter, but it’s really hard to have to come to Jesus with that situation. Like the fact that I always wanted to have a little, like a foot in no matter what, you know,” she added.
Here’s what you need to know:
Cheryl Burke Did Not Take Part in the Len Goodman Tribute Dance
Months after leaving “Dancing With the Stars,” Burke learned that longtime head judge Len Goodman had died. Shortly thereafter, plans were in place for a tribute dance that would air during season 32. But while many ballroom pros — past and present — were invited to participate, Burke wasn’t. This, however, was not her choice.
“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.”
“First of all, I found out when everyone else found out and that was just such a stab in the heart like for me. It was like I just couldn’t believe that I wasn’t included in just something so special. Like, regardless, if you want to look up OG in the dictionary, regardless. Like, I should have been there like we all know this. [And I at] least have been in the audience maybe, you know. But clearly that wasn’t the case,” she added.
Burke felt that the ballroom snub was intentional. Now, she seems completely done with the program and doesn’t seem to want to be back in the ballroom for any reason.
Cheryl Burke Said Leaving ‘Dancing With the Stars” Was ‘Scary’
Burke competed on 26 seasons of “Dancing With the Stars.” She won two Mirrorball Trophies before deciding it was time to hang up her dancing shoes.
“This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life and I am also confident that it is the right one. This show has been my second family since I was 21 years old. The cast, crew, and fans have seen me through my highest highs and some of my lowest lows, and I honestly don’t know who I would be today without them,” the ballroom pro wrote on Instagram in November 2022.
In the time since, Burke has been trying out a few different things as far as her career goes, including launching her behind-the-scenes DWTS podcast. She interviews different past cast members on “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans,” and releases 1-2 new episodes each week.
“I think my decision to leave the show was scary. It had been 26 seasons. Either I was going to make the decision or when I was 50, they were,” she told People magazine in January 2024.
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