Hookups on ‘DWTS’ are more common than you think — one alum just confirmed it with her own stories
'Dancing With The Stars' alum Cheryl Burke is spilling some secrets about the real-life romances that bloom between the celebrity contestants and the pro dancers on the show. During an interview with Fox News in September 2024, Burke, who served as a judge on the ABC dance competition for 26 seasons from 2006 to 2022, candidly spoke about the long-term potential of the relationships formed between the celebrity contestants and their pro partners on the show. "Are there hookups? Yes. Are there full-blown relationships? Rarely. But it does happen, as we've seen," Burke told the media publication.
At one point, Burke, who hosts the 'DWTS' podcast 'Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans' for iHeartRadio, shed light on the beautiful love story of 'Shark Tank' star Robert Herjavec and his 'DWTS' pro partner Kym Johnson-Herjavec, who took part in Season 20 of 'Dancing With The Stars' and eventually tied the knot in 2016. Soon after, Burke talked about pro Britt Stewart with her partner Daniel Durant. For the unversed, let us share with you that Stewart and Durant participated in Season 31 of 'DWTS', which aired in 2022, and the pair announced their engagement on the occasion of Christmas in 2023.
While speaking about the possibility of relationships flourishing on 'Dancing With The Stars', the Emmy-winning dancer exclaimed, "It definitely happens. But everybody right now in this stage of the competition, they're on this high, right? Like every honeymoon phase. Everything's all dandy, right? Talk to me about when you start doing two dances a week, how tired you are of your partner. We'll see what happens."
In April 2024, Burke appeared on an episode of 'The Amy & T.J. Podcast,' and then, Burke disclosed that she got involved in "showmances" with three of her celebrity partners over the years. When the hosts Amy Robach and TJ Holmes asked Burke whether there was a lot of "sex going on behind the scenes" during filming. "Obviously! I mean, like, look. There was lots of dry humping because that happens in the rumba. Right? There's lots of that. Look, dancing, especially ballroom, is an intimate contact sport," Burke said at the time, as per Entertainment Weekly.
Shortly afterward, Burke stated that it was difficult for her to make the showmances work outside of the show. "It's seven days a week. You are consumed with each other. Also, we've seen their insecurities. In order to be successful on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ you have to be ready to be vulnerable. Like, you've got to feel stupid. You've got to look stupid. You've got to be OK with that," Burke explained. Then, Burke revealed that one of her partners was former NFL player Chad Ochocinco Johnson, who was partnered with her during the tenth season of the show. However, Burke didn't disclose the names of her other two former partners.
When Burke was asked if she fell in love with any of her partners, she mentioned that all of her showmances were primarily based on lust. Burke continued, "It's not love, right? It is in that moment. Then you're like, ‘Wait a second, how is this person, like, in the real world?’" While chatting with Robach and Holmes, Burke also gushed over the real-life connection between 'The Bachelorette' alum Jenn Tran and her partner Sasha Farber by saying, "I'm all for Sasha and Jenn. I think that is more of like — that is not just a fling. I can see this actually happening."
