Why Cheryl Burke Isn’t Part of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Len Goodman Tribute

Meredith Jacobs October 23, 2023, 4:41 pm

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Cheryl Burke in 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 31 cast photo — ABC/Nathan Martin

Dancing With the Stars is paying tribute to the late judge Len Goodman as part of its Most Memorably Year night this week (October 24), with “OG” pros returning as part of the special event. (For the night’s dances, the 10 remaining couples perform dances inspired by a pivotal year that held great significance in their lives.)

For the tribute, the dance to Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” is choreographed by pros Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy. The professional dancers who are back in the ballroom for the tribute with the current pros, judge Derek Hough, and co-host Julianne Hough, are Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Kym Johnson-Herjavec, Tony Dovolani, Anna Trebunskaya, Edyta Śliwińska, Karina Smirnoff, Louis van Amstel, and Mark Ballas.

Not part of that list of Cheryl Burke, who has participated in 26 seasons (starting with the second and most recently seen in the 31st). “Unfortunately, I wasn’t invited,” Burke wrote on Threads. “However, I’ll be there in spirit and can’t wait to cheer my former colleagues on! Sending love and light to everyone.” She ended her post with “#riplen.”

Burke may not be part of the Dancing With the Stars‘ 32nd season in any way, but she is hosting a podcast in which she talks about her experience on the show — and gives others a place to do that as well. “I am forever grateful to Dancing With the Stars. We are paying homage to the show in these interviews,” she told TV Insider. “The show has given ballroom dance a platform. I’ve been so lucky to have been a part of it for so many years. I think anyone who thinks this podcast [is negative] really needs to listen to it. It’s about sharing fun memories.”

‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pays Tribute to Len Goodman — OG Pros Preview

Burke is also interested in being part of the show “in any capacity other than being a pro,” and those who work on it know that, she also said. “To say I’m not hurt [that nothing transpired] would be a lie. I get it. I understand,” she noted, then added after a beat, “Actually, I don’t! I know spots are limited. But I can be two things at the same time. I can be hurt and grateful. I can still love the show and be its No. 1 fan. But to say I don’t think about it a lot would be a lie.”