‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Reveals She’s Likely Not Coming Back to the Show

Dancing With the Stars has another pro who may be ready to hang up their dancing shoes. Cheryl Burke revealed on her latest episode of her Burke in the Game podcast that she likely won’t return to the show as a professional partner following her and Sam Champion’s Season 31 elimination.

“A lot of people have asked me if this is my last season. The answer to that question is likely yes, this is my last season, as a dancer that is,” Burke said during the podcast. While it’s “hard” to leave the ABC dance competition behind after 26 seasons with DWTS, the pro said her “body is also telling me to stop” at 38 years old.

That being said, Burke does want to stay in the Dancing With the Stars family in some way. “I do believe, though, that I have proven myself enough to where I could either be a correspondent or host. Not saying I’m trying to take anybody’s job, you guys. Please don’t write about that,” she said. “I’m just saying you can always add another host. You can always add another judge. It’s a two-hour show with no commercial breaks.”

Burke said there are “other options” she’s “currently in the middle of discussing all of this at the moment” when it comes to moving forward, but even if they don’t follow through, she remains grateful. “It is what it is. Life moves on. There’s life after Dancing With the Stars. I do know that,” she assured her listeners. “I also know, though, that I have to move forward, one foot in front of the other and one step at a time. This is my time now. My contract’s up and this is a good time to just be like, ‘OK, let’s see what’s next.’ I have to surrender. From here on out, I’m going to continue to manifest as much as possible, but at the end of the day it’s not my decision.”

While the dancer insisted it’s not a “for sure decision” to leave right now, she said her departure wouldn’t be due to “fear or from anger or disappointment” stemming from her Season 31 elimination, noting that it’s “been a long time coming” for her. “For the first time with peace and love and gratitude I can say my time has been awesome, however, it’s time for me to close this chapter,” Burke explained. While moving on is “scary as hell,” Burke feels positive about the future.

“Maybe I come back one day. But as of today and as of a long time coming, really, for many months and even years, I do believe that this is the right decision, but that doesn’t mean that you’re going to stop seeing me on television and that doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop dancing,” she said. “However, I have things that I need to focus on at the moment.”