Cheryl Burke has confirmed she's in talks with The Bachelorette producers to star in the next season of the ABC reality dating show.
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"I have met with the producers of The Bachelorette and I also have met with ABC producers and development executives, just to develop other shows," Burke, a Dancing with the Stars professional dancer told E! News.
"I realize that Dancing won't be on air forever. I'm taking this opportunity now to develop shows. I met with different high-powered producers, companies and networks about possibly doing new shows, and The Bachelorette happened to be one of them."
Although Burke reportedly noted "nothing is confirmed" regarding any new future project, she insisted, "If I don't do The Bachelorette, I'm sure I'll be doing something else very soon."
Burke explained to E! News that she actually has trouble dating although she's a famous celebrity.
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"People tell me, 'Why does Cheryl Burke need to go on television to look for a date?' Honestly, it's something I've been struggling with -- I dated a few guys over summer -- I end up picking the wrong people for me. I'm not successful at it," said the 28-year-old pro dancer.
"I just thought to myself, 'Why don't I let someone else do it?' I think it would be a way for me to focus on a way to find true love. It sounds cliche, but it's true. I'm turning 29 soon, and it's something I really want to have. I want to be in a relationship. I've been so married to my work lately that it's been a struggle to find a boyfriend, or find someone to talk to. I haven't had a proper date in two, three years."
Burke apparently thought she had found a potential love interest while competing on a previous season of Dancing with the Stars, but she claimed the stressful work environment didn't help fuel the flame.
"I have had a relationship with one of my dance partners in the past -- I'm not going to say who! -- but it doesn't work. You wake up, you see each other, you work together. When I teach I can be harsh, and some people take that personally. It just doesn't work. Also, honestly, I'd like to meet someone that doesn't want to learn how to dance, that's not a dancer. I'd like to meet a normal human being!" Burke told E! News.
While Burke hasn't had much luck with dating, she apparently knows exactly what she's looking for -- and it's not to gain more celebrity status.
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"For me, I know exactly what I don't want and what I want in a guy. I'm not doing it to be on television -- I'm already on television!" she said, insisting she would go on The Bachelorette for the right reasons.
"I'm not doing it to get exposure; I already have exposure. I think some people may go on there with a different type of goal of what they want to accomplish. For me, it would purely be to find someone to date, hopefully fall in love and get engaged. For me the process would be totally different."
Burke's confirmation that she's in talks with The Bachelorette producers to potentially star on the series refutes an E! News source who recently claimed it was "never gonna happen" although Burke had been "begging to do the show."
Another source reportedly suggested that the reasoning behind the show's producers alleged lack of interest in Burke is because they are always looking to cast "real people" as Bachelors and Bachelorettes rather than celebrities.
Burke is currently competing with NFL football star Emmitt Smith on Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars on ABC. They are one of seven remaining couples in the competition with the hopes of winning the coveted mirror-ball trophy.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski