Getty Cheryl Burke (L) and Carrie Ann Inaba
Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Cheryl Burke has said that season 31 was “likely” her last season — Burke has been with the show since season two, with a brief breaks on and off during seasons seasons 21 through 26 — and some fans think she should be a judge. Specifically, one fan said Burke should replace current judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
Here’s how Burke reacted:
Cheryl Burke Thinks The Idea of Her Replacing Judge Carrie Ann Inaba is Hilarious
On TikTok, Burke posted a video of herself dancing with fellow pro Louis van Amstel on “Dancing With the Stars'” Halloween celebration on October 31. In the comments, fans are going nuts over it and one suggested she replace Inaba.
“Let her be a judge. Replace ‘No Lifts; Carrie Ann” wrote one fan, to which Burke responded with a laughing-so-hard-you-cry emoji. Another fan wrote, “You both are honestly the best part of DWTS!!! I would love to see y’all as judges next season!!! Y’all would be absolutely fantastic!!!!!”
“Next season you need to be a judge you’re awesome,” wrote a third fan.
Other fan comments include “You’re iconic” and “That was so good. Your legs are a national treasure.”
In fact, one fan asked, “Do you have insurance on those legs?” and Burke replied, “I actually do.”
Another fan wrote, “You have always been my fave pro on DWTS.”
Burke Wants to Be a Part of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Somehow Moving Forward
On the October 16 episode of her podcast “Burke in the Game,” Burke talked about being eliminated from the show in what was “likely” her final season. She said it was hard and saying goodbye to “Dancing With the Stars” will be hard as well, so she would like to stay involved with the show “somehow.”
“A lot of people have, I guess, asked me if this is my last season and the answer to that question is likely yes, this is my last season — as a dancer, that is. Of course, I would love to still be a part of the family somehow and I’m not sure what that means to the people who make those decisions. To have been a part of a show for 26 seasons, it is hard for me and this is why I’ve said it in the past that I was going to stop and I always come back because I guess it’s really hard to say goodbye,” said Burke.
That echoes the sentiments she shared with “Entertainment Tonight” following her elimination when she said that she’d love a seat at the judges’ table.
“Give me another job on the show,” said Burke, adding, “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 … with no commercial breaks, I think they can squeeze another [judge] in there right?”
Burke also wrote in an essay for Us Weekly that she is “uncertain” about her future right now.
“I’m at a point in my life right now where I don’t know exactly what my future holds. I’m going through a transition not just personally, but also in my career, which has left me living in uncertainty for the first time in over a decade. I’m trying to be OK with it instead of living in fear of the unknown. I know that dance and movement are an essential part of my life and mental health, but I’m ready to share these passions in new ways,” wrote the dancer.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific time on Disney Plus.