‘DWTS’ Pro Swears the Show Is Not Rigged, Weighs in on Finale

Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke is weighing in on the remaining competitors now that she’s been eliminated from the ballroom along with partner Terrell Owens.

In a blog she wrote for Us Weekly, the former competitor said she thought the winning pair would come down to either Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold or Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas.

“I think the final two will come down to Jordan and Lindsey, and the winner will be determined by whoever has the best freestyle in the finale,” she wrote.

Burke insisted the outcome of the show is not predetermined like many accuse it of being.

“Being a part of the show now for 20 seasons, I can tell you that the show is not rigged despite what people might think,” she wrote. “The votes are 50/50 from the judges and the fans. That’s how this process works; the fans want to feel involved with their actual journey. If it were just up to the judges, I don’t know if so many people would tune in every week. You can never assume anyone is safe even if they get a perfect score. That’s why having a strong fan base is so important.”

She also broke down her thoughts on the remaining couples:

“I was able to watch the show last week from home and I became a huge fan. Jordan Fisher’s jive was amazing and one of the best that I’ve ever seen on Dancing With the Stars in 25 seasons,” she said.

“I do feel like Mark Ballas and Lindsey Sterling were underscored with their tango and contemporary dance,” she continued. “I felt it deserved a perfect score across the board.”

She added: “To me, Frankie Muniz is the heart of the show now that Terrell is gone. He is someone with no dance experience, and every week it’s a struggle for him. He gets really nervous, and he tries to work on his confidence, so it’s really sweet to see his journey throughout the season, and each week he continues to improve.”

She also weighed in on Property Brothers star Drew Scott and how his scores are “not good enough” to win on their own.

“Drew Scott has an amazing fan base and I think that’s what got him in to the finale,” she said. “He is Canadian, and Canada can vote, so I think that’s also helping a lot as well. He has improved throughout the season, but his scores are not perfect. He is not getting 10s. He is still getting 7s or 8s, and like I said before, 8s are not good enough at this point. Clearly, it’s still OK for him because his fans are rallying behind him, and I think that’s what makes this show beautiful.”

Burke said this year’s finale would be “bittersweet” for her.

“Watching the show last week, I wished we were still in it, but we got very far and the show really did change Terrell’s life,” she said. “I’m just so proud and honored that I could be a part of that this season with him. He is so grateful that he was part of Dancing With the Stars and it was awesome to be a part of his journey as well.”

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.