Following her exit from Dancing with the Stars, Cheryl Burke continues to offer her reviews and critiques of the show and its competitors.
That includes one of the more controversial celebrities in recent casts: Season 33’s Anna Delvey.
This week, Delvey, convicted of several crimes for posing as an heiress to con victims out of significant money, appeared on the DWTS dancefloor for the season premiere.
Her dance routine featured an early focus on her ankle bracelet monitor, which she must wear as a condition of her probation following her 2022 prison release.
Delvey and dance partner Ezra Sosa performed a Cha Cha, which received mixed reactions. Following the performance, DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba delivered a message to the audience and viewers about giving Delvey a chance.
Following the episode, Burke expressed her thoughts about the fake heiress’s inclusion in the DWTS cast and offered critical remarks about her dancing.
Cheryl Burke reacted to ‘family show’ DWTS featuring Delvey in the cast
During an interview after the Season 33 premiere episode, Burke acknowledged that Delvey’s inclusion in the cast wasn’t surprising but still criticized the network.
“Am I shocked [to see her in the cast]? No. But this is a family show,” Burke told Yahoo! Entertainment.
“Is it sending the right message that you need to be a convicted felon in order to be considered a star on Dancing With the Stars? I don’t know. Do you have to be under house arrest? Like, what happened to this show being a family show and Disney, you know?” she told the media outlet.
Burke appeared on DWTS for 26 seasons, winning the Mirrorball Trophy in Seasons 2 and 3 with celebrity partners, singer Drew Lachey and NFL star Emmitt Smith.
She retired from the show in September 2022 and continues to observe what’s occurring on DWTS through her podcast.
Cheryl shared why it’s ‘hard to root’ for Delvey on Season 33
During her recent podcast episode, Burke dove into the Season 33 premiere, offering reactions to all of the dancers’ first performances on the show.
She suggested that Joey Graziadei is “the best Bachelor the show’s ever had” and that Brooks Nader is “one of the best models” to appear on the show.
Like many others, Burke indicated that former Disney star Chandler Kinney could be the early frontrunner to win the season.
Shifting her critique to Delvey’s chances on the show, Burke explained that she must display more emotion there, or she’ll be an early exit. In the premiere episode, Burke and Sosa received an 18 score from the DWTS judges for their Cha Cha.
“I guess it’s hard to root for somebody who doesn’t show a lot of emotion,” Burke said regarding Delvey.
She mentioned hearing the convicted fraudster in several other interviews, including Call Her Daddy.
“I left that interview…with no compassion for this woman,” Burke said.
Burke says Delvey has ‘potential’ as DWTS elimination looms
“I know that there are feeling- We’re human, she’s not a robot right? There’s gotta be feelings under there somewhere,” Cheryle Burke said during her podcast.
Burke also told Yahoo! that she felt Delvey has a wall up and might have been better off with a different professional dancer as her partner.
“With Anna, yes, she has potential — actually more than some of the other contestants. But this wall that she has up is so thick that I wish she was partnered with Val [Chmerkovskiy] for this reason. Val would be able to break it down with the experience he has had on the show,” Burke told the outlet.
As Monsters and Critics reported, DWTS Season 33 spoilers suggest a double elimination is on the way in Week 2. After Week 1’s first dances, Chandler’s score of 23 led the way, while actor Eric Roberts’s 15 was the lowest.
While Delvey’s Cha Cha score puts her just below the middle of all contestants’ first scores, her popularity or lack thereof will decide if she stays or goes.
Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.