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Pro dancer Cheryl Burke is set to leave ‘Dancing with the Stars’ after Season 31, having appeared on 26 seasons over the years and won twice.
The show announced that she’ll be giving her farewell performance during Monday’s finale.
Taking to Instagram, Burke confirmed that Monday night’s show would be her final dance as a pro dancer on Dancing with the Stars.
“This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one.” Bruke wrote.
Burke added that it’s “time for me to begin the next phase of my career, although dance will always be a part of me.” She shared that she’s excited to “expand my commitment to mental health advocacy,” as well as “focusing on my newfound love for podcasting.”
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The dancer told fans that her farewell dance on Monday night is dedicated to them. She’ll perform it with fellow pros Pasha Pashkov and Louis Van Amstel. On Sunday, the DWTS Instagram posted about Burke’s departure, sharing, “You are an absolute icon and we thank you for so many years of creativity and entertainment!”
Burke has discussed leaving “Dancing” before, including prior to Season 30 and after she and Sam Champion were eliminated this season.
The longest-tenured pro, Burke joined “Dancing” in Season 2, which she won with Drew Lachey. She won the following season with with Emmitt Smith, becoming the first pro to snag multiple Mirrorball trophies and the first to win back-to-back titles. She didn’t miss a season until she sat out the 20th, 21st and 22nd installments. She also skipped Seasons 24 and 26 but has been on every season since the 27th. In addition, Burke competed on “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors,” bringing her franchise total to 26 seasons.
