Former Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Cheryl Burke offered more insight about her departure from the show.
Burke appeared as a professional dancer in 26 seasons of DWTS, capturing the Mirrorball Trophy in her first two seasons.
Her last appearance on the show was in Season 31 when she partnered with weatherman Sam Champion from Good Morning America.
That also marked the last season for host Tyra Banks, who only hosted for a few seasons before leaving. Like Burke, longtime DWTS judge Len Goodman also announced his retirement.
“I love the show. I’m a fan. I will always be a fan. However, with that also come disagreements,” Burke indicated during her podcast.
Burke also mentioned a “fight” related to her DWTS send-off once she’d chosen to exit.
Burke says it was a ‘fight’ for proper DWTS send-off
Burke recently shared that “It was a fight” involving her team and the powers that be at Dancing With the Stars to get her a proper send-off into retirement after appearing on the show for 26 seasons.
“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?’” she explained on her recent Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast episode.
During her podcast, she talked about dealing with some of the difficult emotions involved in her situation with DWTS.
Burke mentioned how she’d gone on Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’s podcast and admitted that her “rock bottom” was her “success.”
“I was so empty inside. It didn’t matter how many Mirrorballs. It didn’t matter how many finals. It didn’t matter, whatever it was…Like it didn’t matter. But I still felt like s**t about myself,” she said.
She said on her recent podcast episode that it led to her drinking to numb her negative emotions, which became an issue.
Burke says she’s in her ‘best headspace’ ever
Burke said she’s doing better since her DWTS exit several years ago. She’s working on her sobriety, and her podcast has allowed her to continue expressing herself while “figuring out” what she should be doing.
She indicated she chose to leave DWTS when she and her team weren’t receiving any promotions or signs they would get any. According to Burke, it was in her best interest career-wise to exit the show.
“I’d say personally, I’m in the best headspace that I’ve ever been,” Burke said, admitting she doesn’t think she’d “ever want to perform on the show again.”
The former DWTS dance pro said she started to “really see it for what it is,” and it was “hard for her to swallow” that truth.
Burke realized that it was “actually just a business and wasn’t as personal” as she’d made it out to be in her “head or heart, which is sad.”
She also said that some people might suggest that her talking about her past situations involving DWTS several years later means she’s “bitter” or “not over things,” but she indicated that’s not true for her.
Burke said she felt closure and doesn’t hold grudges or “ill will towards anyone” but is still “grieving” due to the hurt and disappointment she experienced from losing friendships.
“For me, talking about is me trying to let go of it- in real-time,” she said, adding that talking about her past is also part of her “work to stay sober” and avoid a relapse.
Dancing With the Stars Season 33 is TBA for ABC and Disney+.
When you exit any business and you talk crap about the business you do sound bitter. No matter how much you say you are a fan. Call it closure or whatever, you are bitter. Like Kate plus 8, the Kardashians, just go, go away. Enough. This is old. I don’t think people see you as in a good headspace. Want to be happy? Go live your life…move on, do better.