Brooke Burke finally breaks silence on why she’s skipping the ‘DWTS’ reunion: ‘It was a silly reality...’
It looks like Brooke Burke isn’t one to linger on the past. 'The Dancing With the Stars' alum, who competed on the ABC show in 2008 before returning as co-host in the early 2010s, recently opened up about why she won’t be reuniting with Tom Bergeron, the original pros, and others for the show’s 20th anniversary on November 11, as revealed in a report by E! News. For the unversed, Burke appeared on the show for the first time in 2008 as a contestant, then went on to host for several seasons in the first half of the 2010s.
While speaking with Jennie Garth on the 'I Chose Me' podcast on November 4, Burke reflected on her reasons for not returning to 'DWTS'. She remarked, "I never say no just to never close doors, professionally, but that was eight seasons, and I did everything I needed to do in the ballroom. Amazing relationships. At the time, it was one of the most-watched shows on television. It would be hard to go back there with the same level of excitement and appreciation.”
The former host further added, "A redo is hard for me. I feel like I wrung it out and did everything I needed to do on that show.” In hindsight, it doesn't seem entirely out of place for Burke to feel this way, as artists and performers often outgrow their roles with the passage of time. Regardless, Burke's decision not to return to the dance reality show hasn't prevented her from being grateful for her past participation. She went on to say, "It was a silly reality competition, but it was so much more than that for me because you face your fears, you get out of your comfort zone, and I like to do scary things. Training like an athlete, learning how to think like an athlete."
Burke won the Mirrorball trophy alongside pro Derek Hough back in season seven of the show. Looking back, she remembered that being a contestant was one of the 'hardest' things that she had ever done, going so far as to label it as 'terrifying'. Burke eventually joined the show as a host during the tenth season and continued doing so till season 17. It was during this time that she regularly appeared alongside the OG host Bergeron, who had been with the show since its inception up until 2019.
Speaking about her experience as a host, Burke noted, "Being a host allowed me to bring a different level of compassion and connection to that skillset. I knew what it was like when nobody wanted to talk to me or they couldn’t hear me or they were so upset or their adrenaline was so high.”
