‘DWTS’ Execs Said ‘No’ To Cheryl Burke In Len Goodman’s Seat

Cheryl Burke and Len Goodman from Instagram

Dancing With The Stars pro Cheryl Burke announced she would retire from the show after Season 31 ended. In a surprise announcement, head judge Len Goodman also announced that Season 31 would be his last. Now, the DWTS exec team has to find a replacement for the iconic judge.

Several DWTS pros threw their hat into the ring, including Cheryl Burke. With 26 seasons under her belt, she feels that she would be a perfect choice. But sadly, it seems like that won’t be happening after all.

Cheryl Burke won’t be filling Len Goodman’s shoes

After filing for divorce from her ex Matthew Lawrence, Cheryl Burke decided to launch her own podcast. Burke In The Game covers dating after divorce and Cheryl’s journey as she also learns to fall in love with herself. And now that she’s retired from DWTS, she also has more time to guest star on other podcasts.

Cheryl Burke and Tom Bergeron from Instagram
Cheryl Burke/Instagram

The professional dancer recently sat down with wrestler Chris Jericho for an episode of his own podcast, Talk Is Jericho. The pair competed on DWTS Season 12 together and finished in 7th place.

During the episode, Chris and Cheryl discussed her choice to step down as a pro dancer and whether or not she still had a future with the show. Cheryl Burke made it very clear she wanted Len Goodman’s seat at the judges’ table. However, it doesn’t seem like that will happen after all.

“They are very well aware that I would have loved to do that with the family. However they do not see a place for me, whether that be at the judges’ table or a possible co-host,” the 38-year-old dancer admitted on Christ Jericho’s podcast. “You know what? That is okay. I am grateful for the experience. I am going to move forward.”

Daniella Karagach, Kateryna Klishyna, Selma Blair, and Cheryl Burke from Instagram
Cheryl Burke/Instagram

She reportedly also asked to come back as a co-host, but the DWTS producers shot her down there too. But either way, it appears that Cheryl Burke has a positive relationship with many members of the cast and crew. They will always hold a special place in her heart, even though she has officially retired.

So who will take over for Len Goodman?

The Dancing With The Stars exec team hasn’t made any formal announcements about the judges’ table for Season 32. However, they do have plenty of options. They could continue with three judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough. It’s probable that either Carrie Ann or Bruno would take over as head judge.

But other sources report that producers have been eyeballing dance legend Shirley Ballas to fill in for Len Goodman. But she also has a starring role on Britain’s Strictly Come Dancing, which could possibly complicate things.

“Her experience is unrivaled and she has made no secret of the fact she’d love to spend more time with her son Mark, who is based in the US with his wife,” one source reportedly told The Sun. “She could hold both her Strictly job and a new role on Dancing With The Stars – as Len did for years.”

Time will tell what happens from here. Check back soon for more news and updates with Cheryl Burke and the rest of the DWTS cast.

Nikole Behrens
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