Cheryl Burke has spent 23 seasons on Dancing With the Stars, so it’s no wonder she has seen quite a few injuries over her time with her partners. After all, as a professional dancer, Burke knows her way around a dance floor as well as anyone, but her celebrity partners can’t say the same, meaning things can sometime get dicey in practice. On Wednesday, Burke appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and took a look back at all of the injuries she jokingly admitted she may have caused.
She begun with her most recent partner, Ray Lewis. Traditionally, athletes have transitioned well in the competition, oftentimes being some of the favorites as a handful of them have gone on to win the Mirror Ball Trophy. Lewis, known to be light on his feet during his playing days and always dancing during his introduction, wound up needing to leave the show early after suffering an injury. “First football player to ever get injured, my fault,” she stated.
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If you are paired with @CherylBurke on #DWTS we have one word: CAUTION 😳 Tune in today to hear about her new podcast with dance partner AJ McLean and her new line of designer face masks! pic.twitter.com/1AMkio8sDe
— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) October 22, 2020
Another celebrity who followed the same fate was Tom Delay. The politician, Burke said, “fractured both of his feet.” He lasted a few weeks before having to tap out of the competition. The third partner she mentioned was Cristian de la Fuente, perhaps the most serious of all three injured participants. “I broke his arm live on television when we did the samba,” Burke recalled. That moment will live on with DWTS fans as Burke recalled realizing he let go and her head hit the floor before Tom Bergeron took the show to a commercial break after the accident. Looking back on it, Burke said she would just advise “caution” to anyone she gets partnered with in future seasons.
Currently, Burke is on Season 29 with A.J. McLean. So far everything has been running smoothly for the pair. After Monday’s episode, Burke and the Backstreet Boys singer advanced another round with five couples already eliminated. After her run ended abruptly in the season prior, Burke has her sights set on winning for a third time, previously doing so with Emmitt Smith and Drew Lachey. Dancing With the Stars airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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