Where Is Cheryl Burke on ‘Dancing With the Stars’? Why She’s Absent from Len Goodman’s Tribute

Dancing With the Stars season 32 if officially going into Week 5, and it’s hard not to reminisce about head judge Len Goodman‘s presence on the show.

Fans of the hit competition series remember that the former dancer announced his retirement in November 2022 after 17 years of sitting alongsideCarrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and later Derek Hough at the judges’ panel. Less than six months later in April, fans were saddened to learn that Len died at the age of 78 from prostate cancer. While DWTShonored him in season 32 by naming the coveted Mirrorball Trophy after him, the October 24 episode will additionally celebrate his legacy with a thoughtful dance tribute in his honor.

As former pro dancer Louis van Amstel shared a behind-the-scenes photo on Instagram on October 20, viewers learned that past and present dancers are getting together to watch Val Chmerkovskiy and his wife Jenna Johnson choreograph what’s sure to be an emotional dedication to Len on DWTS. While folks will see faces like Kym Johnson-Herjavec and season 31 winner Mark Ballashit the dance floor to “Moon River” by Henry Mancini, beloved pro Cheryl Burke revealed she won’t be participating in the telecast.

So, where is Cheryl, and why isn’t she a part of Len’s tribute on Dancing With the Stars? She gave some details behind the reason for her absence, and what she said may just surprise everyone.

Where is Cheryl Burke, and why isn’t she on Dancing With the Stars?

When viewers learned that several past pros were returning for Len’s tribute dance, some wanted to know if Cheryl would also be part of the ensemble. Responding to the question in a message on Threads, she revealed she won’t be attending the October 24 episode.

“For those of you asking if I’ll be a part of Len Goodman’s tribute next week on DWTS, unfortunately, I wasn’t invited,” she wrote on October 19. “However, I’ll be there in spirit and can’t wait to cheer my former colleagues on! Sending love and light to everyone. 🤍🙏🏼 #riplen.”

Although it’s unclear about the reason behind Cheryl not being involved with the performance, she still manages to detail her 26 seasons of working on Dancing With the Stars on her new podcast Sex, Lies and Spray Tans. Each episode sees her recapping her thoughts on each episode of season 32, along with bringing back folks people loved on the show to document their time on DWTS.

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As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.