Cheryl Burke leaving Dancing with the Stars before season 32
In a statement this weekend to People Magazine, the longtime pro and multi-time champion confirmed that after seventeen years and countless seasons in the ballroom, she will be departing after the finale. While she has left and returned in the past, this time around is a little bit different.
So why leave at this point? As she explained to the website, it has to do with both her age and also her physical and mental health:
“Lately I’ve talked a lot about how my body — it just hurts … For me as a dancer, as a woman, unfortunately, this is what happens as an athlete as well. There comes a time where —I’m almost 40 years old. I’m 38, and I have certain expectations I set for myself. Sometimes, if I don’t see what I want to see or think that I am producing, that has a lot to do with it. But then also, it has a lot to do with growth in general.”
Our hope is that there is some sort of proper tribute to Cheryl during the finale; we also love that she got to spend her final season with someone in Sam Champion who is a dear friend. Winning is fun, but as Burke noted in the interview, so much of the show is the experience. You get to meet so many incredible people along the way.
Even if Cheryl is stepping down as a pro dancer, is there a chance that we could see her as a judge? Let’s just put it this way: It’s hard to imagine anyone at this point being more qualified to do the role than her.
Related – Check out some of the dance spoilers entering the Dancing with the Stars finale tomorrow night
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This article was written by Jessica BunBun. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.