The Truth About Dancing With The Stars' Cheryl Burke

Did you ever think you'd still be watching "Dancing with the Stars," nearly 15 years and 30 seasons later? Well, on September 20, "DWTS" aired the first episode of Season 30, and according to Parade, the show that swept you off your feet for 15 years is about to do it again. While fans are excited to see some notable celebs, they are equally, if not more, excited to see their favorite professional dancers on the show make a return. 

Although the seasoned Cheryl Burke has been involved in her share of dramatic moments on the show, nearly 386,000 Twitter followers can't wait to see her back in action. Burke's partner for the new season, Cody Rigsby, is a fitness personality so big that you could say it matches his sizable social media accounts and will definitely have heads turning their way. Even if you don't know Rigsby from his enthusiastic Peloton workouts, you might recognize him from the 'Gram. The fitness instructor has 918,000 Instagram followers and is always trending on TikTok. 

With only two wins under her belt, Season 30 will be Burke's 24th time on the show. With a partner as electrifying as Rigsby, she may just take home a third "DWTS" trophy. Another win would be the icing on the cake for Burke, as the last few years the dance star has gone through a "better me" metamorphosis of life changes and realizations. 

Cheryl Burke revealed in September 2020 that she had been sober since getting engaged to Matthew Lawrence in 2018. Cheryl shares on the "The Ladygang" podcast simply that, "It was just a decision that I made for myself" (via US Weekly). 

The former "Dance Moms" coach recently shared a YouTube video, labeled "My Honest Confession to You!" in which she admits some of the challenges of her sobriety journey. Burke states that she is committed to staying sober, but admits that, "My go-to is booze, anything that numbs and gets me out of my head."  

In March 2018, just two months prior to her engagement, her father passed away and Burke shares with the "Ladygang" podcast that he was an alcoholic. This impacted her decision to sober up, stating, "I was gonna crash and burn and check myself into rehab or I was gonna just quit cold turkey" (via US Weekly).

The professional dancer further reveals in the video that she has been struggling with wanting a drink recently, saying, "I'm here to confess that lately staying sober has been a little bit of a challenge for me." In the past three years of her sobriety, she has only had the help of a therapist, but Burke says she is now considering joining a 12 step support group to help her get through the tough times.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

The "Pretty Messed Up" podcast host experiences jitters like the rest of us. In an Instagram confessional video, Cheryl Burke shares from her car that she has been feeling very nervous about the new season of "Dancing With The Stars." She says to her audience of 633,000, "If I said to you that I was just so excited and not nervous, that would be a lie. Of course, I'm nervous. Of course, I have my thoughts getting the best of me."

She does go on to say that her nerves over the new season have something to do with being sober while performing, and her video caption states, "Doing this show sober has really made me realize my every insecurity and the amount of pressure I put on myself, which is tough." While she does say how excited she is and that she loves partner Cody Rigsby (who wouldn't), Burke is clearly feeling the pre-show shakes, which only makes her more relatable.

On Season 4 of "DWTS," Cheryl Burke was partnered with "Beverly Hill 90210" star Ian Ziering. According to The Sun, the couple finished in fourth place, but Burke had really wanted to be eliminated much earlier.

In 2016, Burke was interviewed on the "Allegedly" podcast, where she offered some awful words for Ziering. She shared that he was her least favorite partner on the show and made fun of his name stating, "The fact that his name is not 'EE-AN' and it's 'EYE-AN' makes me want to throw up!" According to Today, the "DWTS" veteran went as far as saying that dancing with Ian made her want to "slit her wrists."  

The Sun reports that later on, Cheryl did apologize for the suicide remark, claiming that minimizing the seriousness of suicide was not her intention. 

Fast-forward to April 2021 and a sober Cheryl finds herself regretful, and rightfully so. Talking with co-host AJ McLean on the "Pretty Messed Up Podcast," Burke explains, "The one thing I truly regret and want to make amends with is Ian Ziering ... I was completely out of line a few years ago, and I did a podcast where they were asking me who my favorite partner was and who did I hate the most." 

She goes further, according to Fox News, stating, "I truly am so sorry for being so inconsiderate and just talking trying to get a reaction and putting him as my punching bag really, I took it to that next level of nastiness. I was so nasty. And I'm here to publicly apologize to Ian and his family."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.