Sharna Burgess Confirmed to Judge ‘Dancing With Stars’ Again as Australian Version Heads Into Season 21

Sharna Burgess is heading back to the ballroom, but she won’t be competing for the Mirrorball Trophy. After taking home the coveted prize with celeb partner Bobby Bones in Season 27, and after stepping away from the U.S.-based ABC dancing competition after Season 30, Burgess is returning to Dancing With the Stars as a judge, but there’s a slight catch.

Fans awaiting news about Dancing With the Stars Season 33 shouldn’t get too excited, as Burgess is not returning to the U.S.-based show. Instead, Burgess will be returning to Dancing With the Stars Australia as a judge for Season 21, marking her second season in a row and her fourth season total. Burgess will serve as judge in the upcoming season, which premieres this Sunday, alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Helen Richey, and Mark Wilson, it was confirmed Wednesday.

Burgess has long ties to the Dancing With the Stars franchise, both in Australia and the U.S., and her upcoming appearance on DWTS Australia will mark her fourth stint as judge on the show. The Australian native previously served as judge for the competition in Season 16 in 2019, Season 17 in 2020, and Season 20 in 2023. To U.S. fans, she is best known for showing off her skills on the dance floor. After first relocating to the U.S. in 2011 to join DWTS as a troupe member, Burgess was promoted to a pro in Season 16 in 2013, competing with celeb Andy Dick. Throughout her 13-season run, she was partnered with everyone from Nick Carter to Antonio Brown, Jesse Metcalfe, and more. She took home the MirrorBall Trophy in Season 27 alongside Bones.

After meeting her now-fiancé Brian Austin Green in 2020 and welcoming son Zane Walker Green together, Burgess stepped away from the U.S. Dancing With the Stars following Season 30 in 2021, during which she was partnered with Green. She was not asked to return for Season 32, revealing during the first episode of her new iHeartRadio podcast Old-ish in September 2023, “It just felt like I needed to sit in motherhood with Zane. It was always, ‘I want to come back next year,’ and ‘Of course, we love you, we’ll always have you.’” She said “wasn’t expecting” to not get a call back, “it was tough.”

Dancing With the Stars Australia Season 21 premieres on Sunday, July 7. The U.S.-based program is set to return for Season 33 this fall, but ABC has not yet announced an exact premiere date. Cast announcements also haven’t yet been made. Past seasons of Dancing With the Stars are available to stream on Disney+.