Cheryl Burke’s Final ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Performance Will Come During Tonight’s Season Finale

Yesterday (Nov. 21), Cheryl Burke revealed that she will be leaving Dancing With the Stars. Her last appearance as a professional dancer on the show will occur during tonight’s season finale, although she told Variety that she hopes to return as a judge.

“I am sitting here full of so many conflicting emotions about the words I am about to write,” shared Burke via Instagram. “Tomorrow night will officially be my final dance as a pro dancer on @dancingwiththestars. This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one.”

She continued, “This show has been my 2nd family since I was 21 years old. The cast, crew & fans have seen me through my highest highs & some of my lowest lows, & I honestly don’t know who I would be today without them.” Burke went on to say that she is looking forward to expand on her mental health advocacy and her “new love for podcasting”.

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She shared that her “farewell dance”, which will see her dancing alongside her two “favorite male pros” Pasha Pashkov and Louis van Amstel, will be dedicated to her supporters.

Burke first joined the competition show, where she holds the title as the first female professional to win the competition, in 2002. But, she has come and gone as she sat out of seasons 19-22, 24, and 26 to pursue other projects, including a brief stint on Dance Moms as Abby Lee Miller‘s replacement.

“If I were to just talk as an athlete, a dancer and a woman, my time has been up. I’m 38 years old. When I came on as a competitive dancer at 21, It was a different story. That decision in itself was really tough for me — to put everything aside, to come [to L.A.] and do a TV show that I had no clue was gonna last for this long,” Burke said to Variety.

And now, she wants more. Given that head judge Len Goodman recently announced his departure from the long-running series, Burke vying for his position. “They are very well aware that I want that seat. It’s not that I just want it, I just know that I can contribute because I am an expert in ballroom dancing,” she said.

“They have been very well aware for probably a few years now. So unfortunately, that decision is not up to me,” Burke added. “I would love to still be a part of the family, I just would love a different role on the show, just like anybody after 26 seasons of having that same title.”

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 PM ET on Disney+.