Cheryl Burke has revealed how many “showmances” she had while competing on Dancing with the Stars as a professional partner for 25 seasons and 16 years.
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Cheryl joined Dancing with the Stars for Season 2 back in 2005 when she was only 21-years-old, and she won the reality dancing competition twice with Drew Lachey during her inaugural season and then with athlete Emmitt Smith in 2006.
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Cheryl announced her retirement from Dancing with the Stars during the Season 31 finale in November 2022, which was only two months after she and her ex-husband Matthew Lawrence finalized their divorce.
Since Cheryl worked closely with 25 male celebrity partners over the years, it’s hard to imagine she didn’t have a romantic connection with one or more of them when she was single.
And Cheryl confirmed, “I’m not going to say who, but I’ve had my own showmances, you know? It happens,” during the April 15 episode of the “Amy and T.J.” podcast, which is co-hosted by Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes.
Cheryl revealed she had “three” Dancing with the Stars relationships but none of them were serious.
“One of them, we tried [to be serious], but it just wasn’t going to happen,” Cheryl said.
“It was lust, it’s not love. It is [love] in the moment, and then you’re like, ‘How is this person in the real world?’ And then all of a sudden, the roles change and I’m no longer an influence in [his] life. So it’s a weird control thing.”
Cheryl said she didn’t have to keep her romances a secret, nor did Dancing with the Stars implement any type of no-dating policy behind the scenes.
“I think it was more of a personal preference, but were there headlines about it? Yeah, of course,” Cheryl said.
“They eat this sh-t up! The casting person and whoever makes these decisions, they know what they’re doing.”
Cheryl recalled how dating rumors swirled with most of her male celebrity partners, including Season 5’s Wayne Newton, which was “definitely a lie.”
Cheryl did confirm, however, that she dated former pro football player Chad Ochocinco Johnson, her celebrity partner on Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars.
“[He] basically professed his love to me on Ellen DeGeneres,” Cheryl shared.
“People were like, ‘Oh, you’re engaged! He gave you a diamond!’ But I was like, ‘No.'”
Cheryl explained how Dancing with the Stars cultivates relationships because “ballroom dancing is an intimate contact sport” and pro partners practice with the celebrities seven days a week.
Cheryl noted, “It happens. It does happen.”
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Cheryl noted how some people even got married from the show — such as former pro partner Kym Johnson and Shark Tank billionaire Robert Herjavec.
“You are consumed with each other, and also, we’ve seen their insecurities, and they’re vulnerable,” Cheryl explained, adding, “In order to be successful on Dancing with the Stars, you have to be ready to be vulnerable.”
Cheryl said this dynamic builds trust, which results in a healthy environment for romance and attraction to develop.
Cheryl, however, is currently single and not exactly ready to mingle.
“[But] I totally would get married again,” she told Entertainment Tonight last year. “Our time is limited on this planet.”
Cheryl filed divorce papers in February 2022 to dissolve her marriage from the former Boy Meets World and Brotherly Love actor, and the pair’s divorce was finalized in September of that year.
Cheryl and Matthew met in 2006 through his brother, actor Joey Lawrence, who competed on Season 3 of Dancing with the Stars.
The pair reportedly began dating in February 2007 and stayed together for about a year before calling it quits on their relationship in February 2008.
Cheryl and Matthew reconciled nearly a decade later in February 2017. In September of that year, Cheryl admitted to People she regretted letting her romance with Matthew end.
“When we first dated, we were both young and immature, and I was so new to this world,” she revealed of why the relationship didn’t work the first time around.
“Now we are both adults and feel balanced. He’s such a great guy. He’s so normal, considering we’re in this crazy business,” Cheryl continued of Matthew. “It’s so nice to be able to come home to him… He’s someone I definitely do see spending the rest of my life with.”
Cheryl accepted a marriage proposal and got engaged to Matthew in early May 2018 while the couple was celebrating Cheryl’s 34th birthday in Laguna Beach, CA.
The dancer and choreographer went on to marry Matthew on May 23, 2019, and then the following year, they admitted they weren’t interested in trying for a baby right away.
“I think it’s healthier [to wait until after COVID-19]. I don’t know if being pregnant right now would be ideal for me,” Cheryl told the magazine, adding however that she “always wanted to be a mom” and thought it would be natural for them to “continue onto that next step in our lives.”
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The pro dancer has graced the Dancing with the Stars ballroom almost every season since she began, with the exception of a handful of seasons to pursue other career interests.
Cheryl also finished in second place on the first season of I Can Do That, losing to Nicole Scherzinger. The talent competition aired on NBC from May to June 2015.
About The Author:
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.