Cheryl Burke Apologizes to Former ‘DWTS’ Partner Ian Ziering After ‘Nasty’ Feud

Dancing With the Stars alum Cheryl Burke has apologized to Beverly Hills, 90210 actor Ian Ziering for the way she handled their public feud. After dancing together in Season 4 of Dancing With the Stars back in 2007, Burke notoriously made comments on a podcast that Ziering was her “least favorite” partner and that she “would rather slit [her] wrists” than dance with him again.

“I actually apologized to him. I sent an email like a couple of years ago when I did a YouTube,” Burke told the New York Post in a new interview. “I think it was during like right after the pandemic or toward the end of it. And I did.” The dancer continued, “I just wanted to publicly apologize. But before I publicly apologized, I wanted to just to do it personally. And he responded. It was short and sweet, but I think there was a lot to discuss.” After that, the Sex, Lies and Spray Tans podcast host said there are “no hard feelings” between the two.

Burke is “different” now than she was back in Season 4 as well. “I’ve grown a lot and I totally, you know, I’m taking accountability for my actions,” she continued. “And I knew I know it was wrong what I said, and I didn’t need any hard feelings then or now.” The ballroom dancer has previously expressed her regret for making comments about her relationship with Ziering, telling Pretty Messed Up podcast co-host AJ McLean in April 2021 that she was “completely out of line” making the comments she did.

“I was completely out of line a few years ago, and I did a podcast where they were asking me who my favorite partner was and who did I hate the most. And I answered, ‘Ian Ziering,’ and I said something along the lines of ‘I’d rather slit my wrists than dance with Ian Ziering again,’” she told McLean at the time. “I truly am so sorry for being so inconsiderate and just talking, trying to get a reaction, and putting him as my punching bag really,” she added. “I took it to that next level of nastiness. I was so nasty. And I’m here to publicly apologize to Ian and his family. I lost a lot of respect for myself. It haunts me till this day.”