Former "Dancing With The Stars" pro Cheryl Burke shared her advice for future celebrity contestants to consider before joining the hit network TV series.
Burke, 40, who ended her 26-season run on the ABC dance competition show in 2022, has previously noted that romances between the "DWTS" pros and their celebrity partners are common, admitting that she had three "showmances" during her time on the series.
During a recent episode of her "DWTS" podcast "Sex, Lies & Spray Tans," Burke was asked why she believes that so many celebrities and pros develop feelings for each other during filming.
"It's an arranged marriage," she told her guest, People magazine senior editor Dave Quinn. "And it is black and white. Either love each other or hate each other for real."
Burke pointed out the pros and their celebrity partners' demanding rehearsal schedule requires that they spend an "insane" amount of time together which leads them to form either extremely positive or negative relationships.
"You're not like, 'Oh yeah, he's cute. Like, no, no, I either like you or I don't because you're constantly [together] eight hours a day, seven days a week," Burke said. "That's insane. For three months?"
"And you're vulnerable," she added.
Burke recalled that a former celebrity contestant confessed to her that he had a crush on his pro partner though they were both married at the time. Though nothing happened between the pair, the celebrity said that even his family suspected that they were having an affair.
"It's so intimate, and you're stuck with this person," Burke explained. "Like, you better try and make it work at least."
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"You get close in so many ways," she continued. "These celebrities are so vulnerable because in order to succeed you have to strip it all down. And that alone? I bet you most of these married celebrities have never even done that with their wives."
Quinn said he knew a former celebrity contestant who told him that her husband was concerned about her joining the show since he was worried that she would fall in love with her pro partner. He recalled that the couple had a "big conversation" before she agreed to take part in the series.
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When Burke asked if the celebrity fell in love with her "DWTS" partner, Quinn confirmed that she did not.
"Be single if you do ‘Dancing with Stars.' That's all, I'm saying," Burke said.
During an April appearance on "The Amy & T.J. Podcast,", Burke revealed that she had romances with three of her "DWTS" partners and identified one as former NFL player Chad Ochocinco Johnson, who was paired with her during the show's 10th season in 2010.
Burke recalled that she tried to continue a relationship with one of her partners after the show wrapped, but "it just wasn't going to happen."
When asked if she fell in love with any of her partners, Burke said that her showmances were based on "lust."
"It's not love, right?" Burke said. "It is in that moment. Then you're like, ‘Wait a second, how is this person, like in the real world?’"
