Cheryl Burke stuns fans by naming her two favorite ‘DWTS’ stars — and they’re not who you’d expect
With a 26-season-long association with the prestigious 'DWTS,' stage Cheryl Burke has earned herself a name like no other pro in the history of the show. After debuting in season 2 in 2006, she was also the first female pro to win the coveted mirrorball trophy with 'Because of You' singer Drew Lachey, as reported by Us Weekly. Then, making a voluntary exit in season 31, Burke's career took an unexpected turn with the launch of her podcast 'Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans' in September 2023, known for her bittersweet experiences on the show.
What made things interesting was when, in an episode from her podcast, Burke revealed that her favorite 'DWTS ' partners were Jack Osbourne and Rob Kardashian. From someone who has partnered with several athletes like NFL star Emmitt Smith and Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte to celebrities like Ian Ziering and Cristián de la Fuente, it was surely a revelation that no one saw coming. “These two men—they're not what you would expect, especially nowadays. Jack is sober. And I just love the fact that we got along and they didn't take themselves too seriously,” she expressed on her podcast, as reported by Collider.
In another interview with Newsweek, Burke once admitted that when she first got to know that they were joining the show, they were “spoiled brats." But as the season went on and she got to know them better, she changed her mind about them. "I've done 20-something seasons, and I've had quite a lot of partners," she said on the podcast. “I didn't expect to have such a great season like I did with Jack Osbourne and Rob Kardashian." Burke teamed up with Osbourne, and they ended up in third place in season 13. Two years after that, she paired with Kardashian for season 17, where they came in second.
The outlet also noted ahead of the season 11 finale, when Kardashian scored a perfect 30/30 on Burke's freestyle dance, he said, "I just shocked myself," before adding, "It just makes you realize that you can do something if you put your mind to it because I wasn't a dancer until doing this show. It just gave me more confidence and shows that if you work at something, you can do it." Burke, who has won the Mirrorball trophy twice during her tenure, revealed why she left the show in an interview with E! News: "There is wear and tear," she said, referring to the physical toll on the body during the rehearsals.
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"But also, my heart is telling me to see what else is out there. We are human, and we evolve. I do. At least I would like to say that I am a work in progress forever." She added, "I do know, though, that this is not the end of my career, and I want to be able to see what else is out there. And Dancing with the Stars, the schedule is so intense. I've got so many projects that I've been working on." She also shared a long Instagram post where she admitted that it was "one of the hardest decisions of her life."
