Pro Dancer Cheryl Burke bids adieu to Dancing With the Stars
by Ana Walia | Tue, 22 Nov 2022 17:17:38 GMT
Cheryl Burke says goodbye to Dancing With the Stars. Image Source: People 

Cheryl Burke says goodbye to Dancing With the Stars.

Pro dancer Cheryl Burke has announced her retirement from Dancing With the Stars after 17 years and 26 seasons.

Cheryl Burke spoke to People magazine and shared her feelings, stating that she has been crying non-stop as it has been a very emotional moment for her, adding that there are a lot of emotions going through her mind right now. She stated that where there is excitement, there is a lot of accomplishment, describing how she feels like she is going through another divorce in the same way that she is going through it in one year.

In season two of Dancing with the Stars, she won her first Mirrorball trophy with singer Drew Lachey, and she won it again in season three with former NFL player Emmitt Smith as her partner. When asked about her decision, the dancer stated that she has recently talked a lot about her body, and it just hurts to add that while it happens to the best athletes, it also happens to her as a dancer and as a woman.

Cheryl said that there comes a time in one's life when they are nearly in their 40s and have certain aspirations, just as she does of oneself, and occasionally when she does not observe what she desires to see or thinks she is creating, the choice has a lot to do with it, but it also has a lot related to growth in general. She added that at the end of the day, it's her sobriety as well, saying that she feels like she's really progressed and has just spent a lot of time within herself, and that continuing to judge, worry about her body, and worry as to whether she looks really good or not in a costume is not where she wants to be today.

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The Burke in the Game podcast host added that she has danced with celebrities such as Jack Osbourne, Rob Kardashian, Emmitt Smith, and Sam Champion. She went on to say all of this for her, the show was never really about winning the Mirrorball, but about the expertise, and she is grateful to every one of her collaborators for teaching her something. Cheryl clearly stated that whether they were her favorites or not, she gained new knowledge from each of them.

She went on to say that she always enjoyed getting the dark horse and that she will never overlook the fact when Rob Kardashian stepped out for the first dance and he was booed because of his package. Cheryl stated that he was just a typical brat, as people perceived him, as this spoiled brat. The goal was simply to beat Kim Kardashian and stay longer than two weeks and Rob finished in 2nd spot. That delighted her. She added that she hasn't spoken to him in a while, but those are the times when she believes she has made a difference in someone's life.

The professional dancer stated that she simply wants to try something new and challenge herself, adding that she wants to be more engaged in the mental health area and that she has been desiring to launch a dance program called Body Language for the last decade, which she hopes to launch next year. Cheryl stated that as a dancer, she has accomplished what she is capable of, which was 26 seasons of Dancing with the Stars. That's a fantastic run.

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Cheryl Burke announced her decision to say goodbye to the show via a post on social media, where she wrote that she is sitting in a place where she is filled with so many conflicting emotions and announced that she will be performing her final dance as a professional dancer on Monday. She mentioned that the decision has been one of the hardest of her life, and she is also confident that it is the right one. The pro dancer wrote that the show has been her second family since she was 21 years old, and everyone has witnessed her highs and lows, and honestly, she does not know what she would be without everyone.

The dancer further shared that she now knows that it’s her time to start the next phase of her career, although dance will always be a part of her. She is excited about the idea of evolving, being challenged in new ways, and having the ability to expand her commitment to mental health advocacy and focus on her newfound love for podcasts.

Cheryl Burke concluded that there aren't enough words to express her deep gratitude and love to her entire DWTS family and she will end by thanking everybody for being her rock and foundation for nearly two decades during the tough periods, and most importantly, thank you for giving ballroom dancing the kudos and recognition it deserves.

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