DWTS Pro Cheryl Burke Opens Up About Personal Struggles

A “Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer recently opened up about how hard she has been struggling with alcohol temptation. Cheryl Burke, who is nearly three years sober, recently admitted on an episode of her “Pretty Messed Up” podcast that she has been struggling with the temptation of alcohol.

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Burke Said She Feels Like She Gets ‘Bullied’ To Drink

On the latest episode of “Pretty Messed Up,” Burke confessed to having been really tempted to drink lately — like “two seconds away” from having a drink. And she realized how dependent she is on her podcast co-hosts Rene Elizondo and AJ McLean.

“I’ve been feeling like drinking again, a lot lately. And I realized, like look … our podcast won’t last forever, but I realized when I was in Hawaii how co-dependent I am on the two of you because I look forward to these conversations of sobriety,” said Burke.

She continued by saying that on her recent anniversary trip to Hawaii, it was really hard for her to abstain.

Burke continued:

For some reason, I was thinking what if this is all over one day? And I had so much anxiety. And then we had a bottle of champagne delivered to our room because of our anniversary — they obviously didn’t know I don’t drink — but then [my husband Matthew Lawrence] had a little bit and never ever have I been triggered the last two and a half years until that day.

And then I went to a friend’s birthday party, same thing. And then of course people who are not sober or who are not in the program, I feel like I get bullied into drinking.

So Burke called Elizondo and asked about coming to his Alcoholics Anonymous group, something Burke has not done yet on her journey with sobriety.

“I’m like two seconds away [from drinking]. If I start, I can’t just have one … I have a lot of personal stuff going on at the moment, so I feel like I’m walking a really tight rope at the moment. Therapy’s not working right now,” confessed Burke.

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Burke Asked Elizondo To Be Her Sponsor

While a sponsor-sponsee relationship is very personal and Burke acknowledged that she shouldn’t have asked on the air, Elizondo said he was so proud of her.

“No joking, Cheryl — come hang with us. I swear to you, it’s like a spiritual cup of coffee. If you’re feeling a little bit down, you come, you hang with people, you hear us tell our stories, what we’re dealing with on the day … we guide you towards the steps,” said Elizondo.

McLean added, “All that is asked of you is to show up and [have] the desire to drop drinking. That’s it.”

“I think I’m so dependent on you guys … because I think you’re my only real sober friends,” admitted Burke, adding, “What’s the next step? … I’m so nervous.”

Elizondo said that they should speak privately after the show, but right now, “nothing excites me more than somebody that’s willing to do what AJ and I have done … we promise you, come up here, it’s unbelievable. … I promise you, you’re going to live a life beyond your wildest dreams.”

She finished by saying that if she goes back to “Dancing With the Stars,” she is “definitely” going to need the help of her co-hosts.

And that’s how they left it, but presumably, they will update listeners about what is happening on future episodes of the podcast, which drops on Sundays.

“Dancing With the Stars” season 30 is expected to premiere in September 2021 on ABC.

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