Former “Dancing with the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke has seen a lot during her 26 seasons on the show.
One of the most routinely asked questions she gets is about how close the pros and the celebrities get while they’re training and dancing in sexy costumes week to week.
“It’s like a movie when you go off to set, and you’re there for months at a time. And you’re very intimate with somebody. At the end of the day, if you didn’t have chemistry, the movie wouldn’t be good. And it’s the same thing with ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” Burke told Fox News Digital.
“There are times where some couples definitely don’t have chemistry, and they don’t go [very] far,” she added, noting many celebrity contestants have told her “they have to really be vulnerable in order to do well.”
Former “Dancing with the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke says chemistry is key when it comes to doing well in the competition. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for See Us Unite)
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But while the chemistry may be there, it’s not always romantic.
“We do this for a living,” Burke said. “And it may look like … we’re really into that other person or whatever. But, at the end of the day, it’s just a job for us, and we’re back again for another season.”
Asked if she’d seen any behind-the-scenes hookups the public may not know about, Burke replied, “Look, it happens. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Burke acknowledged jealousy can also be an issue for celebrities in relationships when they join the show.
Burke said secret hookups happen, but “that’s all I’m going to say.” (Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)
“We call this the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ curse. I think it started because of the ‘Bachelor’ or ‘Bachelorette’ franchise, where they would have these bachelorettes or bachelors come on after being newly engaged, and most of them didn’t make it through,” she explained.
“And so … fans labeled it the ‘DWTS’ curse, which is hysterical but not funny, obviously. But, look, if your relationship can’t stand just a few months of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ then you had problems before.”
Burke is sharing her “DWTS” knowledge week to week on her podcast with iHeart, “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans.”
On her podcast, the 39-year-old also welcomes guests on her show like Brian Austin Green, Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke, who admitted to a one-time crush on Derek Hough.
Cheryl Burke’s new podcast, “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans,” shares behind-the-scenes secrets and guest interviews. (iHeartPodcasts)
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“It’s not me that divulges these secrets … it’s the person,” Burke said. “They just happen to be very comfortable with me. Because I understand, I understand every little thing that has been said so far. I get it all.
“There’s no judgment here. Like I’ve been through it all, times 26 partners.”
Cheryl Burke with Cody Rigsby in season 30 of “Dancing with the Stars.” (Christopher Willard via Getty Images)
Burke noted the experience can be cathartic for past participants on the show, like Trista Sutter, who was the first celebrity ever eliminated from the show.
“I think they haven’t dealt with all of these emotions and feelings that the show brings along with your journey,” she said. “It’s like once you get eliminated, you go get on the plane, go do press for ABC and that’s it.”
Burke told Fox News Digital guests on her podcast are willing to share secrets because “they just happen to be very comfortable with me.” (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
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In her time on the show, the San Francisco born-and-raised dancer earned six appearances in the finals and two mirror ball trophies before exiting in 2022.
She spoke with Fox News Digital about the difficult decision to leave, saying, “It’s the worst breakup I’ve ever been through.”
The same year she left “DWTS,” she also went through a public divorce from “Boy Meets World” star Matthew Lawrence.
The couple had begun dating in 2017 and married in 2019 but split three years later, citing irreconcilable differences.
Burke and Matthew Lawrence were married from 2019 to 2022. (Alberto E. Rodriguez)
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“I’ve always been a type of person that just wants to constantly be challenged,” she said last year. “From my divorce, feeling it, this feeling of stagnant, which I started developing as well later in the marriage and not growing. Whether that be, you know, in a relationship or within the company is something that I am never comfortable with – is not being able to grow.
“So, it is important for me to do other things. And I’ve done 26 seasons with the same job, with the same role, right? With the same job title. So, for me, you know, that would be going against my values and beliefs as a human being if I didn’t do this.”
The divorce was finalized in 2022. Burke and Lawrence had no children but were engaged in a custody battle for their French bulldog, Ysabella, which Burke ultimately won.
As she continues to host her new podcast, Burke also strives to maintain her candid nature.
“I just have my own experiences, and I wish when I was younger that there would be a celebrity that I could look up to in a way that went through a lot of the similar traumas that I went through in my life,” Burke said. “So, whether it’s a divorce or abusive relationships that I’ve been vocal about, it’s all the same for me.”
Burke hopes by sharing her own experiences she can help others. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
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She noted she’s been “blessed” to use her platform to offer whatever support she can to others, regardless of negative feedback online.
“Not everyone’s going to like you. And, at the end of the day, the people who relate to you will gravitate towards you,” she said.
“The main reason of me doing this wasn’t just to see if I can create a community around my experiences. It was also therapeutic for me as well, in a way. It was like being able to just talk about any trauma or any mental health issues took the shame away a little bit.
“I just know that this is something that I’ve been looking for, and I know a lot of people will benefit off of my experience as well, just knowing that they’re not alone.”
