Cheryl Burke: As long as 'Dancing with the Stars' wants me, I'll be there

Cheryl Burke says despite rumors she's unlikely to return to Dancing with the Stars next season, she has every intention to come back.


"There are rumors that me, [Derek Hough], and [Mark Ballas] are all leaving the show. I can only speak for myself, and as long as Dancing With the Stars wants to have me, I'll be there," Burke told Parade magazine.

A source told The New York Post last week the show's producers are looking to lower their budget because Dancing with the Stars has become too expensive, and as a result, there may be a shakeup with some of its pros and judges.

One change that will definitely be taking place next season is the Dancing with the Stars' format. ABC announced earlier this month this fall's seventeenth edition of the reality dancing competition will not feature a results show and each week's elimination results will be folded into the show's two-hour Monday night broadcasts.

"I think it's bittersweet. We've been doing the results show for the last 15 seasons, and I think we're going to be missing a lot of the entertainment that is on that night. But I think it might be something that's good for our show, because now, on Monday nights, someone will get eliminated," Burke explained.


"You'll see all of us dance, and then on top of that, you'll get stars coming and performing. I think it'll definitely help with the ratings. I think [two episodes a week] can be an overload and having a two-hour show once a week will actually help us."

When looking back on her experience with Dancing with the Stars' most recent sixteenth season, Burke seemed to suggest she thought Zendaya Coleman and partner Val Chmerkovskiy should've won over Kellie Pickler and partner Hough.

"Because of their freestyle, Derek and Kellie deserved the trophy. Unfortunately, our show is kind of only based on the freestyle once you make the final four or three," Burke told Parade.

"I think the last 10 weeks of competition should also count, instead of just the freestyle, and I thought Zendaya was consistently amazing and she always got the high scores. Kellie and Derek's freestyle was the best out of the four couples, but Zendaya was just amazing from week one."

The pro dancer apparently did, however, predict whom the four finalists were going to be from the start.


"I thought from the beginning that those four would definitely be the last four standing," Burke said of Coleman, Pickler, Jacoby Jones, and Aly Raisman. "I was kind of rooting for Jacoby."

If Burke does return to Dancing with the Stars, she hinted at a couple celebrity partners she might like to have.

"I just hope whoever I'm paired with, I get along with, and he has a little rhythm. David Beckham would be great, but that's never going to happen. Stevie Wonder did come on, and he said he would do the show. I think that would be pretty amazing," she added.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski