Cheryl Burke is leaving ABC’s Dancing With the Stars for a new, as yet unnamed, show on NBC. Rumor has it the new show will also be a reality competition series, and Cheryl will no doubt use her talent as a dancer–and maybe even more. Us Weekly confirms that both Cheryl Burke’s departure from DWTS and signing with the new show are done deals.
“Cheryl is leaving the ABC series for a new variety show on NBC,” a source tells them. “The new NBC show is in its very early stages, but likely will be a competition reality series and Burke will perform.”
Burke hinted back in the fall that she would soon be leaving Dancing With the Stars. She danced her first season on the show back in 2006 and her most recent contestant partner was Antonio Sabato, Jr.
“I never thought I’d be able to walk away,” she said during an interview with People. “But after a decade of something, it’s time for me to move on and try something different, to be challenged, to feel inspired. Dancing with the Stars will always be a part of my life. Dancing is what I’ve done since I was a little girl. But it was very clear the show only wanted me back as a dancer. They weren’t interested in using me for other things and letting me grow.”
Cheryl Burke is leaving #DWTS — and she's already got a new gig! See where she's headed: http://t.co/1AYdJwdCiF
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) December 10, 2014
“As of now, this is probably going to be my last season. I started when I was 20. I’m 30. I feel like I just want to try new things and just see what’s out there,” she said during an interview back in September.
“Contractually, my contract is over and there’s other opportunities that have been out there for me,” she said during an interview with TV Guide a couple of months ago. “It’s so hard for me to talk about this, because I owe my life to Dancing with the Stars. They’ve changed my life completely. They’re my family and it’s always hard to say goodbye…to a bunch of people that really believed in me from the start, and continued to believe in me for the last 10 years.”
Cheryl Burke’s departure from Dancing With the Stars will no doubt leave an obvious void. Fans will be glad they can find her over on NBC, however. It will certainly be interesting to learn what kind of show producers have in mind. Do you suppose it will be in direct competition with Dancing With the Stars?