Heavy/Getty/ABC A DWTS pro was cut from season 32.
Another “Dancing With the Stars” pro has confirmed that she won’t be returning for season 32 of the popular show.
On the September 12, 2023, episode of the new podcast “Old-ish,“ Burgess announced that she won’t be competing when the show returns later on in the month, though she confirmed the decision was not her own.
“It’s known now. The cast has been leaked. But, I wasn’t asked back to do ‘Dancing With the Stars’ this year, which was definitely a huge shock to me,” Burgess said.
“I did drop in and let them know that I’d like to be back next season, or this season… and then, it got to the week of everyone getting their phone calls. And I know when everyone got their phone calls, ’cause we’re all talking. They say don’t tell anyone, but everyone tells each other in the cast,” she explained.
“And I realized when those spots were all filled and I was like, ‘Oh my God. I didn’t get the call,'” she explained. She went on to say that she had a “feeling” that she wasn’t going to be asked back. She said that it was “tough” because she wasn’t expecting it.
The male pros include Sasha Farber, Val Chmerkovskiy, Brandon Armstrong, Alan Bersten, Gleb Savchenko, Artem Chigvintsev, and Pasha Pashkov, while the female pros include Jenna Johnson, Peta Murgatroyd, Britt Stewart, Koko Iwasaki, Emma Slater, Daniella Karagach, and newcomer, Rylee Arnold, according DWTS insider, Kristyn Burtt (via TikTok).
Burgess joined the dance competition show in season 16 and has competed on 14 seasons. She won her first and only Mirrorball Trophy in season 27 with Bobby Bones.
Here’s what you need to know:
Sharna Burgess Previously Said She Wanted to Return for Season 32
In an interview with Extra at the iHeartRadio Music Awards held in Los Angeles on March 27, 2023, Burgess was asked if she’d be back for season 32.
“I hope so. I definitely want to come back if they will have me. I am ready to get back into it,” she responded.
Fans reacted to the news on a Reddit thread.
“Wow.. honestly with 7 female Pros and bringing Rylee and Koko in Im so surprised they decided to cut Sharna.. pretty messed up I feel bad for her she was always such a positive presence on the ballroom,” one person wrote.
“Sharna’s my favorite pro so this hits extra hard,” someone else added.
“From what we see as fans, I would think Sharna deserves a spot more than most other woman pros that were cast this season. But it sounds like a lot of stuff has been going down behind the scenes I guess that is affecting her standing? It’s strange,” a third comment read.
Sharna Burgess Bowed Out of Season 31 After Welcoming Her Son
Burgess decided to sit out season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars” because she wanted to spend time with her son, Zane, who was born in June 2022, just months before the new season began.
“I have some news that I have to tell you guys because I keep getting so many DMs about it. After long conversations and lots of thinking and really trying to stick with what was right and, again, many conversations with Deena Katz, who is our casting director… I made the really hard decision to not do the season this season of ‘Dancing With the Stars’,” Burgess said on her Instagram Stories in August 2022, per TV Insider.
“I am so in love with being a mom. As much as it was hard to say no to ‘Dancing’ because, God, I love everything I know about the upcoming season, I love that Conrad Green is back, I love the cast, I love the show. It is my home. But I have this family and this newborn at home that I may never get these moments back,” she added.
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