Cheryl Burke will not be appearing on Dancing with the Stars’ upcoming tribute show to Len Goodman.
Burke, 39, announced her absence from Tuesday’s memorial in a post published on Threads on Thursday.
“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; however, I’ll be there in spirit and can’t wait to cheer my former colleagues on!” she said in an email. “Sending love and light to everyone. 🤍🙏🏼 #riplen.”
Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough stated on this week’s edition of the competitive dance program that they intend to memorialize the late head judge, who died in April at the age of 78, with a heartfelt dance tribute during the Oct. 24 episode.
Maks Chmerkovskiy, Kym Johnson-Herjavec, Tony Dovolani, Anna Trebunskaya, Edyta Liwiska, Karina Smirnoff, Louis van Amstel, and Mark Ballas will all return for the program.
The program previously honored Goodman at the season 32 premiere, with Hough and Ribeiro praising the renowned judge. “Len will always be going forward with us,” Hough said at the time.
Goodman died on April 22 from bone cancer while in hospice care in Kent, England. Since his passing, his former Dancing with the Stars co-stars have made an effort to celebrate his memory on the program, even renaming the prized Mirrorball trophy after him.
“The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy will now be lifted on Dancing with the Stars like the Vince Lombardi Trophy is lifted at the Super Bowl,” executive producer Conrad Green said in September to USA Today.
“We wanted to make Len a permanent part of this show, to always remind people of the importance he’s given to Dancing with the Stars and how much he meant to all of us,” Green concluded. Len adores this program and will always be watching over us.”
Ribeiro explained to people after the season 32 casting announcement how the program planned to celebrate the late ballroom judge’s legacy in the first season since his death.
“I can guarantee you that every one of those pros will be making sure that the routines are still designed for Len,” he said. “I know I’ve talked to a few of them, and they will be putting in specific steps that Len used to love, just to make sure that the content is still there for Len.”
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star also promised fans that “there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house” when the Goodman tribute episode aired. “It’ll be incredible. He was, after all, the finest,” he continued.
Burke, on her part, declared her intention to leave Dancing with the Stars in November 2022 after 17 years and 26 seasons.
“I have been crying nonstop,” she told people at the time. “It’s been a very emotional experience.” There are many feelings and a lot of enthusiasm, but there is also a lot of worry. At the end of the day, this is perhaps another divorce that I’m going through in a year.”
Burke rose to prominence on the show after winning her first Mirrorball trophy in season 2 alongside singer Drew Lachey. She subsequently won her second trophy with retired NFL player Emmitt Smith, with whom she danced again during the show’s All-Star season 15. During her time on the show, which began in 2006, she danced with 25 different celebrity partners.
Burke stated last year that she would consider returning to the show as a judge after Goodman’s retirement. (At the moment, the judges’ panel includes fellow pro-Derek Hough as well as Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.)
“I think the whole world knows by now that I would absolutely love to.” But it isn’t up to me,” she explained. “My future is up to me, and I know it’s time for me to evolve and see what else is out there. “Because, according to what I’ve heard, there is life beyond Dancing with the Stars. I’m not sure yet. I’ll notify you.”