Cheryl Burke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cheryl Burke
Burke in 2008
Born	(1984-05-03) May 3, 1984 (age 41) California, U.S.
Occupation	Dancer model television host
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Matthew Lawrence ​ ​ (m. 2019; div. 2022)​

Cheryl Burke (born May 3, 1984) is a famous American dancer, model, and TV host. She is best known for being a professional dancer on ABC's popular show, Dancing with the Stars.

Cheryl made history on the show. She was the first female professional dancer to win the competition. She was also the first professional to win twice, and even won two seasons in a row! She has been a part of 26 seasons of Dancing with the Stars. She also placed second on the NBC series I Can Do That. In 2017, she replaced Abby Lee Miller on the show Dance Moms.

Early Life

Cheryl Burke was born and grew up in San Francisco. She went to Menlo-Atherton High School.

Dancing with the Stars Journey

Cheryl Burke has had an amazing journey on Dancing with the Stars. She won her first big trophy, the mirror ball, with 98 Degrees band member Drew Lachey. This was in the show's second season. She then won her second championship with retired football star Emmitt Smith in the third season.

Cheryl also went on a 38-city Dancing with the Stars tour. This tour lasted from December 2006 to February 2007. She also joined a second summer tour, visiting 24 cities. Drew Lachey was her partner for both tours.

She competed in many seasons with different celebrity partners. Some of her partners included actor Ian Ziering, Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton, and actor Cristián de la Fuente. With Cristián, she reached the finals and placed third in Season 6.

Later, she partnered with athlete Maurice Greene and actor Gilles Marini. With Gilles, she finished as a runner-up in Season 8. She also danced with former U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay. They had to leave the competition early because Tom had foot injuries.

Cheryl even helped choreograph a dance for the movie Toy Story 3. She also created a fitness video based on Latin dances.

She continued to compete with many other stars, including Chad Ochocinco, Rick Fox, wrestler Chris Jericho, and reality star Rob Kardashian. With Rob, she came in second place in Season 13. She also reached the finals with actor William Levy, finishing third.

In Season 15, Cheryl returned with her former partner, Emmitt Smith. They hoped to win another trophy but were eliminated in the semi-finals. She also danced with comedian D.L. Hughley and media personality Jack Osbourne. Jack's journey with multiple sclerosis was a big inspiration for Cheryl. They made it to the finals and placed third.

After Season 19, Cheryl took a break from the show. However, she returned for Season 23 with Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. She also came back for Season 25 with former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens.

In Season 27, she partnered with actor Juan Pablo Di Pace. They earned many perfect scores and had the highest average score that season. Even so, they were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Cheryl returned for Season 28 with former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis. They had to withdraw early because Ray injured his foot. For Season 29, she partnered with Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean.

In Season 30, she danced with Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby. For Season 31, her partner was Good Morning America meteorologist Sam Champion. On November 20, 2022, Cheryl announced she would be leaving the show as a professional dancer after the Season 31 finale.

Other TV Appearances

Cheryl Burke has appeared on other TV shows too. She had a guest role on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. In this episode, she played a nurse named Shannon who joins a dance contest.

She also came in second place on the first season of I Can Do That. She was replaced Abby Lee Miller on Dance Moms in 2017. She took charge of the ALDC Elite competition team. The team was then called "The Irreplaceable's".

Cheryl also appeared as a special guest diner on Hell's Kitchen in Season 17. In January 2025, she was on Worst Cooks in America. She competed on the "Heroes" team and was the first contestant eliminated. She won $2,500 for a mental health charity.

Awards and Achievements

Cheryl Burke has won many awards and honors for her dancing:

• 2005 World Cup Professional Rising Star Latin Champion
• 2005 San Francisco Latin Champion
• 2005 Ohio Star Ball Rising Star Latin Champion
• 4th in the U.S. in the "Under 21s" category at the UK Championships.
• Two-time Dancing with the Stars champion:
  • Season 2 with Drew Lachey
  • Season 3 with Emmitt Smith
• Prime Time Emmy 2006, for Outstanding Choreography
• On October 20, 2007, she received the Role Model Award at the 7th Annual Filipino/American Library Gala.
• In 2008, she won the Viewer's Choice award for Favorite TV Personality at the Asian Excellence Awards.

About Her Life

Burke in 2009

Outside of Dancing with the Stars, Cheryl Burke has worked with several companies. These include Depend Silhouette briefs, Impress Nails, and Sargento Cheese. Her work with these companies has helped raise a lot of money for good causes. For example, Depend donated $50,000 to Dress for Success.

In April 2008, Cheryl opened her very own dance studio. The next year, she launched her own line of activewear (clothing for sports and exercise). In 2011, she wrote her autobiography, a book about her life, called Dancing Lessons.

In 2017, news reports said Cheryl was dating actor Matthew Lawrence. They first met in 2006 when Matthew's brother, Joey, was on DWTS. Cheryl and Matthew had dated before, from 2007 to 2008. Matthew proposed to Cheryl on her 34th birthday, May 3, 2018. They got married on May 23, 2019, in San Diego, California. In February 2022, it was reported that Cheryl filed for divorce. Their divorce was finalized on September 19, 2022.

Cheryl has openly shared that therapy has helped her through tough times, including her divorce.

See also

In Spanish: Cheryl Burke para niños