With over 30 seasons, Dancing With the Stars has seen professional dancers come and go. Some of the most notable dancers that have competed in the most seasons include pro-turned-judge Derek Hough, who not only competed for 17 seasons, but won six mirorrball trophies during his tenure. Then there is former pro Mark Ballas, who may not have won as many trophies, but had danced on the beloved reality TV show for 20 seasons.
However, no other professional dancer has topped Cheryl Burke when it comes to performing on the most seasons. As of this writing, she had competed in 26 seasons and won three mirrorball trophies. But, when she departed after Season 31, rumors swirled that she was fired. She finally set the record straight.
Cheryl Burke Was Not Fired From Dancing With The Stars, But Her Podcast Affected Her Relationship With The Show
There have been speculations that former pro dancer Cheryl Burke may have left Dancing With the Stars on a sour note after her lengthy tenure. It’s led people to believe that Cheryl was fired from the show, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. On a December episode of her Sex, Lies and Spray Tans podcast, the dancer answered fans’ questions with one asking, “Do you feel you left DWTS on a positive note?”
“I felt like I did leave Dancing With the Stars on a positive note. I definitely didn’t have any ill will or negativity as far as me deciding to retire, I know a lot of people may think it wasn’t my decision, but it definitely was.”
She continued, “I’m pretty sure they would have still had me as a pro dancer to this day.”
So, although she wasn’t fired, Cheryl truly believes that launching her podcast affected her relationship with the show. In the same episode, she shared, “Now, if you’re asking me how they feel about this podcast, I can’t answer that question. Obviously, this podcast has caused, I think, unnecessary turmoil a little bit, but as far as I’m concerned … I say nothing but great things about the show.”
Cheryl added that having her guests talk about their experiences with the show, even if they weren’t good ones, may have hurt her relationship with DWTS. However, Cheryl wants her podcast to be an open book for her listeners. “Whether you want to label it positive or negative, it’s their experience,” she shared.
When Cheryl launched her podcast in 2023, its description seemed to hint that she would be sharing some not-so-nice things about the beloved show.
“She knows the secrets, the behind the scenes arguments and the affairs, the flings, the flirting and the fighting. It’s time to tell all.”
When she joined Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ Amy & T.J. podcast in April, the former pro even revealed that guests who were supposed to appear on her show suddenly dropped out. “I don’t know who, what, where, when, how it all happened, but I can only assume, and my feeling is that someone who isn’t happy with the podcast may have been an influence,” she admitted.
Cheryl Burke Had To “Fight” To Get To Do A Farewell Performance On Her Very Last Season
During Season 31, which would be Cheryl’s last season on DWTS, she performed a farewell dance with pros Louis van Amstel and Pasha Pashkov. It was a remarkable performance, but Cheryl revealed on her podcast that she had to “fight” to get a farewell dance. It’s surprising to hear since Cheryl has had the longest history on the show with a whopping 26 seasons and two mirrorball trophies.
“It wasn’t just given to me, like ‘Oh, okay, we’re going to do a beautiful send-off.’ It was a fight that my team had to really put their foot down and basically put everything into perspective for them. Like, ‘Wow, you don’t want to give her anything, not even a little goodbye?'” Cheryl revealed.
The dancer added that it was “the least” the show could have done for her after having given DWTS her all for so many seasons. “What’s interesting leading up to it, it was almost like I didn’t even want to do it anymore because I can tell that it wasn’t necessarily their idea,” she said.
Interestingly, Cheryl was not invited to a 2023 episode that paid tribute to the late Len Goodman titled “Most Memorable Year.” The episode saw former pros and current pros coming together to perform. It was a total shock to Cheryl, and she had every right to be upset. Again, she believed it had to do with her podcast.
The dancer said on Amy and T.J.’s podcast that she’s invited guests on her podcast to talk about “the bad, the good, the ugly” because not every experience on DWTS is “all glitter and rhinestones.” However, Cheryl has always said nothing but positive things about her own experience.
“And I always, I always am going back to the fact that I am in gratitude for my experience and my time with the network and with you know, Dancing with the Stars in general.” When the hosts asked her if she felt that she was a part of the DWTS family, Cheryl said, “Definitely, not.”
The Dancer Decided Not To Return To Season 33’s Celebration Of The Show’s 500th Episode
Cheryl was given an invitation to Dancing With the Stars’ 500th episode of Season 33. The episode featured a stunning performance by former pros and current pros dancing to Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love,” which was in dedication to the first ever performance on the show.
Speaking on her podcast a week before the big event, Cheryl revealed that she was not asked to perform but to be a member of the audience. Which is kind of surprising? Although she had no bad blood with the show, Cheryl shared that it didn’t make sense for her to go because she had to work on her podcast. However, if she was asked to dance for the iconic episode, she would have put a pause on the podcast.
“When it comes to just sitting in the audience, it really just delays the podcast schedule and I have a loyalty to you, my listeners, to make sure we roll these out because I know, especially the recap episodes, you guys can’t wait, but I’ll be there in spirit.”
However, the dancer may have forgotten that she once stated that she would never return to the ballroom.
“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, it’s done,” she said on her podcast in April.
In a more recent podcast episode, Cheryl slammed the current DWTS judges for their lack of knowledge of ballroom dance techniques and how they critique performances. “Just like the pro dancers have to continue to educate themselves on their craft, I also feel like the judges should do the same.” Ouch.