Pro dancer Cheryl Burke won’t be a part of Dancing with the Stars for Season 32.
She revealed her retirement last year after Season 31 of the popular dance competition, telling fans that she was ready for the next phase of her career.
Cheryl’s retirement announcement came right on the heels of Len Goodman’s decision to retire, with both of them marking the end of an era.
That left one seat open on the judges’ panel, and Chery made it very clear that she wanted to fill it.
Unfortunately, Len died several months later after secretly battling bone cancer.
As Season 32 ramps up for a fall premiere, we’ve learned that Len’s seat will not be filled, leaving us with just three judges — Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough.
Cheryl Burke wanted to move into another DWTS role
Cheryl has said more than once that she wants to be a judge on Dancing with the Stars, and with Len’s spot open, she likely thought it would be hers.
After all, other professional dancers have moved on from their roles and into loftier positions. Derek is a judge now after dancing for 17 seasons and winning six of them.
His sister, Julianne Hough, also worked out a DWTS promotion. When Tyra Banks left the show as co-host so she could focus on her business ventures (or more likely because DWTS fans really didn’t like her), Julianne tap-danced her way right into that spot alongside Alfonso Ribiero.
So when Cheryl stated that she wanted to see what else was out there, she clearly meant on the show. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out as she had hoped.
She opened up about the snub back in January on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk is Jericho. She said, “They don’t see a place for me. Whether that’s at the judge’s table or as a possible co-host, and that’s okay. I’m grateful, thank you for this experience, but I’m going to move forward.”
Cheryl sold her Hollywood Hills home as she moves on to the next chapter
Now that it’s clear she won’t be returning to Dancing with the Stars in any capacity, Cheryl Burke is ready to move on.
That means moving out too, as she just sold her Hollywood Hill house that she called a home for 16 years.
It was full of great memories for Cheryl, and she shared many of them with her fans on Instagram as she sorted through her belongings and her emotions during this tough time.
On Instagram, she wrote, “Goodbye to the Hollywood Hills 👋 Taking a look back at my home of 16 years, and all of the memories that were made. From my old after party days in my 20s (pre sobriety) to filming a live episode of DWTS with @codyrigsby when I got Covid.”
She continued, “It’s bittersweet saying goodbye to the house that helped me grow into the woman I am today. But with many things, we need to recognize when we’ve outgrown a chapter in our life and need to move forward. To all of the beautiful people who helped create memories in this home, thank you for sharing this special place with me. A bit sad to say goodbye, but excited for this new chapter. Much love.”
Dancing with the Stars returns in the fall to ABC.