Cheryl Burke is no stranger to spilling some Dancing With The Stars tea since stepping away from the beloved competition series, but the former DWTS pro really let loose in the the latest episode of the Amy and T.J. podcast — hosted by Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes — discussing something that she has never spoken out about publicly: her rumored relationships with her DWTS partners.
Participating in 26 seasons of Dancing With The Stars before retiring in 2022, Burke has been extremely outspoken when it comes to Tom Bergeron’s removal from the hit competition show, her exclusion from Len Goodman’s tear-jerking tribute, and more, but on April 15, she spilled some never-been-heard-before tea. According to Burke herself, she was involved in three separate showmances throughout her DWTS career, exploring a connection with three of her partners beyond the ballroom.
Who were these individuals exactly? Keep scrolling to see for yourself…
Which celebrities did Cheryl Burke date on Dancing With The Stars?
While she kept two of her three showmances under wraps, Burke confirmed that she had an off-screen romantic relationship with her season 10 partner, former football player Chad Ochocinco-Johnson, something that had been speculated since 2010.
“Dancing, especially ballroom, is an intimate contact sport, and it happens. I’m not going to say who, but I’ve had my own showmances… There’s a lot of great relationships that [come from the show]. People got married from the show, right? It’s seven days a week. You are consumed with each other. Also, we’ve seen their insecurities. They’re vulnerable, and especially as a professional woman who was a ballroom dancer teaching, let’s say an athlete, for example, who feels like this macho [person], all of a sudden he has to be like, ‘I don’t know if I can shift.’”
Initially stating that she would not reveal the identities of her showmances, Burke eventually spilled that she and Ochocinco-Johnson were an item, which was unsurprising to DWTS fans, as he professed his love for his dance partner on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the past.
Which of her other partners was the California native romantically involved with?
Season 7 partner Maurice Greene?
Season 8 partner Gilles Marini?
Season 15 partner Emmitt Smith?
Perhaps Cheryl Burke will reveal their identities someday, but for now, I guess we will just have to wait and see…