Cheryl Burke has sashayed her way through 26 of the 32 seasons of Dancing With the Stars, making her the Yoda of the dance floor. She’s got some spicy opinions on why every celebrity contestant should come single and ready to mingle, and why married stars should keep their tangoing to date nights only.
This 40-year-old dance dynamo spilled the tea on her podcast, Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans, where she laid it all out: married contestants on DWTS are playing with fire, and she’s got the burns to prove it. Cheryl’s been in three romantic entanglements with her dance partners, and the show has more love stories than a rom-com marathon, with six couples still going strong. Clearly, there’s some serious chemistry happening on that dance floor!
So, what’s the deal with Cheryl’s “come single or don’t come at all” rule?
“Be single if you do Dancing With the Stars. That’s all I’m saying,” Cheryl declared, sounding like a sage love guru. “It’s an arranged marriage. Either love each other or hate each other for real.”
Cheryl didn’t mince words. “You’re not like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s cute.’ It’s more like, ‘Nope, it’s love or loathe,’ because you’re glued together eight hours a day, seven days a week. That’s bonkers! For three months? And you’re vulnerable. It’s like the reality TV version of Survivor but with sequins and spray tans.”
She even shared a juicy tidbit about a married contestant who developed a crush on their equally married pro partner. While no dirty dancing happened, it set the family rumor mill ablaze.
“It’s so intimate, and you’re stuck with this person. Like, you better try and make it work at least,” she said. “You get close in so many ways. These celebrities are so vulnerable because to nail those routines, you have to strip it all down. And that alone? I bet most of these married celebrities have never even done that with their spouses.”
Straight from the twinkling toes of Cheryl Burke: if you’re thinking of joining DWTS, ditch the wedding ring at the door. Because on this dance floor, love and dance are inextricably twirled together, and the drama is as real as the cha-cha-cha!
