Former “Dancing with the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke shares her advice for future celebrity contestants to consider before joining the hit web series.
Burke, 40, who ends her 26th season on the ABC dance competition show in 2022, has previously noted that romances between “DWTS” pros and their celebrity co-stars are common and admitted she had an affair while on the show 3 “performance” experiences.
During a recent episode of her “DWTS” podcast “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans,” Burke was asked why she believes so many celebrities and professionals have developed feelings for each other during filming.
“It was an arranged marriage,” she told her guest, People magazine senior editor Dave Quinn. “It’s black and white. Either you really love each other or you really hate each other.”
Cheryl Burke shared her advice for future celebrity contestants on “Dancing with the Stars.” (Monica Speer/Getty Images)
Burke noted that the rigorous rehearsal schedules of pros and their celebrity partners require them to spend “insane” amounts of time together, which can lead to them forming extremely positive or negative relationships.
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“You don’t say, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s cute.’ It’s like, no, no, I either like you or I don’t like you because you always [together] Eight hours a day, seven days a week,” Burke said. “This is crazy. Three months?
“And you’re vulnerable,” she added.
Burke ends her 26-season career as a pro in 2022. (John Wolfson)
Burke recalled a former celebrity contestant admitting to her that he had a crush on his professional partner, even though they were both married at the time. Although nothing happened between the two, the celebrity said even his family suspected they were having an affair.
“It’s so intimate, you get stuck with this person,” Burke explains. “Like, you better at least try to make it work.”
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“You are close in many ways,” she continued. “These celebrities are so vulnerable because in order to be successful, you have to strip everything down. Is that all? I bet most of these married celebrities have never even done that to their wives.”
Burke said if celebrity contestants want to compete on the series, they should be “single.” (Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Buca, Inc.)
Quinn said he knew a former celebrity contestant who told him her husband was worried about her joining the show because he was worried she would fall in love with her professional partner. He recalled that the couple had a “big conversation” before she agreed to take part in the series.
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When Burke asked the celebrity if she was in love with her “DWTS” costar, Quinn confirmed that she wasn’t.
“If you’re on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ be single.’ That’s all I have to say,” Burke said.
Burke has previously admitted to being romantically involved with three of her partners, one of whom was Chad Ochocinco-Johnson. (Adam Lackey/Disney Universal Entertainment via Getty Images)
During an April appearance on “The Amy and TJ Podcast,” Burke revealed that she had been romantically involved with three “DWTS” partners and identified one of them as former NFL player Chad Ochocinco-Johnson, who was on costarred her in season 10 of the show.
Burke recalled that after the show ended, she tried to continue a relationship with a partner, but “it just wasn’t going to happen.”
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When asked if she had fallen in love with any of her partners, Burke said her performance was based on “desire.”
“It’s not love, is it?” Burke said. “It’s in that moment. And then you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, how is this person like in the real world?'”
