'Dancing With the Stars' Pro Cheryl Burke Says Head Judge Len Goodman Should Be 'More Open Minded'

Cheryl Burke shared her thoughts on the end of Dancing With the Stars Season 28. The professional dancer opened up about seeing Hannah Brown take the win, and her thoughts on judge Len Goodman's latest opinions on the dance floor on her final blog on the season. The pro spent Season 28 blogging her thoughts for Us Weekly, and opened up about thinking Goodman has to open his mind when it comes to the freestyle round of competition.

"The freestyle that popped out to me the most was Kel (Mitchell) and Witney (Carson). It's so hard to come up with an original idea 29 seasons later but they were able to do so because of Kel. It wasn't typical, it wasn't predictable, it was something that was near and dear to his heart," the dancer wrote.

"It's not Len Goodman's style to say anything positive about a dance like that but I think he needs to be a little bit more open-minded about the freestyle round," she added of the judge. "For the freestyle round, anything goes. It's up to you if you don't like the style, but you can't really judge it based on likes. I think you have to judge it on originality."

"Did they mess up? No. Were they synchronized? Yes. Did the audience love it? Hell Yes!" Burke continued. "It needs to be a cumulative-type score, not about ballroom because most freestyles aren't ballroom. I think that 9 may have hurt him, When it came to the freestyle round would give it to Kel."

Burke also opened up about Bachelorette alum Hannah Brown and Alan Bernsten winning the season over Mitchell and Carson.

"I definitely want to say congratulations to Hannah and Alan Bersten," the dancer wrote. "She grew as a person. It's the journey and however much the show showed, they showed her and Alan's journey and I think that's the reason why they won because they were the full package."

Burke then wrote about James Van Der Beek's comments that the show has some "soul-searching" to do after his shocking elimination following the reveal of his wife's miscarriage.

"What they did to him was harsh. I think just the world we're living in right now, there's no grounding... People are always trying to prove themselves when really you need to just be yourself and be authentic and whatever that is to you. I think that's what this show is missing. It's not authentic to what the show is anymore, which is a ballroom show. I don't think he means the show needs to go soul-searching because of what he went through, I don't think he's looking for pity," she wrote.

"Dancing is a vulnerable sport and art form where every week you see us — pros and celebrities — wear our hearts on our sleeve, because this is our life. I don't care what anyone says. To any celeb that signs up for this show, it is your life, but it is so rewarding.

She ended her blog, writing: "...My wish as a viewer would be to see more of that struggle, triumph, and achievement and to feel more a part of each couple's journey.