Still a part of the family. Cheryl Burke will not be on the dance floor during the Monday, October 7, episode of Dancing With the Stars, but she will be in the audience, the professional dancer tells Us Weekly exclusively.
The 35-year-old pro was forced to quit season 28 of the competition after her partner Ray Lewis was injured. While she performed with season 24 winner Rashad Jennings during the September 30 episode, she will not compete with the former New York Giants star again.
Burke — who is cohosting Entertainment Tonight on Monday — previously told Us that she hopes to be a “mentor” to the remaining couples.
“We all need guidance, we all need a third eye. What we did for Juniors in a way, I’d be there for anyone who wants help or anyone who wants someone to watch their dance and give an opinion,” she explained to Us. “When it comes to dancing, they can hire a dancer, but I have experience with the show for 22 seasons that I’d actually like to share with everybody. … We all have the same goal. We want to make the show great.”
The Dance Moms alum added that she would “love to judge” the show in the future.
“I think I would be the girl version of Len Goodman! We are being asked to choreograph and make everything technically sound,” Burke told Us. “When it comes to our choreography, like the way it used to be, bringing it back to the ballroom, I definitely signed up for a show that was ballroom. I am a ballroom dancer and I feel like that is what it needs to go back to. I think that I would be a good judge because I’d be able to tell them exactly what that means.”
Lewis, for his part, wrote that the mirrorball trophy wasn’t in the cards for him.
“I can’t say thank you enough for the support and love 🙏🏿💜 Injuries have never stopped me before and certainly not now,” the 44-year-old retired athlete wrote via Instagram. “I’ll be back doing the squirrel dance soon enough.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
