For years, Cheryl Burke hit the stage on Dancing with the Stars. However, over the years, like many women in the public eyes, she has found herself dealing with criticism, including people attacking her looks. During a recent conversation, the star shared a few choice words for her body-shaming critics.
Cheryl Burke First Joined Dancing With The Stars During Its Second Season In 2006
Burke is known to many for her work with Dancing with the Stars. She joined the series in its second season, winning her first mirror ball trophy with Drew Lachey. She won her second the following season with Emmitt Smith.
Burke officially retired from the show as a pro dancer in 2022. However, she has made a few guest appearances, such as serving as a guest judge for Halloween night in 2025.
Over the years, Burke has appeared on a number of different reality shows. In 2017, for example, she took over for Abby Lee Miller on Dance Moms.
Recently, Burke sat down for a talk with the Dory Jackson Interview Series. At the time, she issued a strong response to commentators who had criticized her appearance on the show. As she shared, “Stop comparing me to when I was 20.”
In particular, Burke addressed “exhausting” speculations about her appearance, with some claiming that she was using a GLP-1 medication, such as Ozempic. Noting that she is facing the changes that come with perimenopause, she also weighed in on the toll that came from retiring from professional dancing.
Burke shared, “I was jacked, like my legs were — I was like a bodybuilder down there. When you’re not pounding on your body, it’s changing. Maybe not for the best, but it’s just, that’s life.”
Burke Previously Discussed Comments She’s Faced In A Glamour Essay
As she continued, Burke acknowledged that criticism gets to her. She noted, “It hasn’t been too bad lately, but also there’s going to come a point where it just gets old. People are going to say the same thing every time.”
Back in June, during a Glamour essay, Burke noted that this has been an issue since she first joined the show in 2006. She shared, “I remember turning on my TV one morning and seeing my name on the chyron: Is Cheryl too fat for TV? I will never forget that. I was 20-something years old, hormonally changing, finally living outside the rigid constraints of the competitive dance world for the first time, and my body was on the news.”
At the time, Burke noted that even some of her co-stars made comments on her weight. As she shared, “Have I had my own personal conversations with these specific people? Absolutely. Do I forgive them? Absolutely. But it’s still shocking.”
Ultimately, Burke highlighted the irony that people might think she was healthier during these younger years. She shared, “I was drinking every single night. I was eating Del Taco at midnight to soak up the alcohol. Are you kidding me? That’s the body fans are nostalgic for? I was the alcoholic Cheryl back then, the party girl barely surviving some of those live shows. Every photo from that era — the ones where people now say I looked so good — I was basically hungover in. That is the version they are telling me I should return to.”
What is your reaction to Cheryl Burke’s recent share? Have you been following this story? Are you keeping up with Dancing with the Stars? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest reality TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.