WEBVTT - Cheryl Burke needs some TLC 0:00:00.960 --> 0:00:04.880 This is the most dramatic podcast ever and I heart 0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:09.920 radio podcast. Welcome to the most dramatic podcast ever. I 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:12.520 am Chris Harrison, joined once again by Lauren Ziema from 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:15.680 her home office in Austin, Texas, joining me on the 0:00:15.720 --> 0:00:23.400 show today. Dancing with the Stars celeb dancing magnet Cheryl 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:27.040 Burke has stepped away from the show, obviously, we know that, 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:29.760 but there is so much more to talk to Cheryl about. 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:32.680 I've known her for so many years, and there's so 0:00:32.760 --> 0:00:35.520 much more to talk about than dancing, and I look 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:36.920 forward to doing that. We're gonna do it just a 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:39.840 little bit. But first, Elsie, we gotta put I don't 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:41.279 think we're gonna put a pin in it, because this 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:43.720 thing's going to continue on. But the vander Pump rule 0:00:43.800 --> 0:00:46.840 scandal has since we talked about it just a couple 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:50.199 of days ago, has taken several more big key steps. 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:53.600 It has gotten physical, it has gotten litigious. Well, what 0:00:53.680 --> 0:01:00.480 you're referring to is, yes, that Raquel Rachel filed a 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:06.000 restraining order against a cast member against Shena, alleging that 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:10.280 Shena punched her or somehow gave her a black eye. 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:15.039 And what that is apparently from or at least whatever 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:18.480 the incident was, was that in that moment. That was 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:20.920 the moment Shena found out they were together, the two 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:23.319 of them after taping Watch what Happens Live in New 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:28.080 York where they're promoting the show, and Raquel, according to 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:30.440 all the different accounts and reports, goes to take a 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:33.920 phone call. The phone calls from Arianna. Arianna's calling her 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:37.080 saying what you know, something like, what the hell is 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:40.520 this video that I found? Shena comes outside to check 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:44.400 on Raquel, and what alarms me the most about this 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:49.920 is that apparently Raquel sort of casually said to Shena, Oh, 0:01:49.960 --> 0:01:51.840 I'm on the phone with Arianna about because I've been 0:01:51.880 --> 0:01:58.000 having an affair with Tom. And that's when Shena, who 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:01.400 allegedly who knows some kind of incident happened according to Riquel, 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:03.920 So who knows? I got to tell you. Look, I 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:08.040 don't condone physical violence ever, but I don't think Raquel. 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:10.720 I don't think Raquel should have filed the restraining order. 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.800 I don't think there's a real It's completely my opinion, 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:15.680 but I don't think there's a real threat of any 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:18.079 future harm to her, And I think it makes her 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:20.560 look bad. I mean, I don't disagree. I found it 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:23.720 interesting when Raquel released her statement after she had been 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:27.640 on Watch What Happens Live, and she said, beyond my 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:31.800 own actions, I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:34.840 death threats and hate emails. Most of that. I was like, Okay, 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:38.600 I understand, but I was like, wait, physically assaulted. That's 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.160 not something you just slip in a big statement like that. 0:02:41.200 --> 0:02:44.480 So I was interested if Moore was going to come 0:02:44.480 --> 0:02:46.600 out about it. And obviously now it has that she 0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:49.000 was shoved against a wall, suffered a head injury, and 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:51.760 then was punched, and you can see because she filed 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:54.640 a picture of herself with the court filing. For some 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:57.680 people are like, it's faked, it's dramatic. Who knows, I'm 0:02:57.720 --> 0:03:00.000 just playing the Devil's advocate here again. I'm not condoned 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:03.400 physical violence. It's interesting to me, though, that you, because 0:03:03.440 --> 0:03:05.639 I think I'm I am so much more entrenched in 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:08.280 it that you than you that like you think that 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.359 that's kind of an interesting part of it, because it's 0:03:10.400 --> 0:03:13.280 all so much has happened that I'm like the physical violence, 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:17.680 I'm not. Well, that takes it to another level. You 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:20.760 know it's not on the show. This was something that 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:23.800 really did happen, And I agree. Did she need to 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:27.320 file a restraining order? She'd already pulled herself away and left. 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:30.840 I think unfortunately, filing the restraining order makes her look 0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:33.960 like petty, like mixed up, like it's just gonna make 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:36.840 everybody hate her more at this point. Well, and I guess, 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:44.480 allegedly is it Shanaina said or has stated that she 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:47.840 doesn't regret it and if she hurts my friend again, 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:52.080 I'll do it again. Um that that was one. That's 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:55.320 what she said in her filing. That's why Raquel filed, 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:58.800 is that that was the kind of common sentiment out there. 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:02.120 And so I just don't believe it. I don't. I 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:03.760 don't know that what's she going to do, like show 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:05.320 up to her house and beat her up. I mean, 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:08.840 I'm just telling you my opinion. I don't think. To me, basically, 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:11.240 here's what's happens. Since we've all left off everybody, I mean, 0:04:11.480 --> 0:04:15.800 maybe everyone is now following everything too up to the minute, 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:19.880 like like I am. But since we lasted this episode 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:25.120 on Tuesday, Arianna, I mean, Tom released a statement, a 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.160 second statement where he actually addresses Arianna, though he addressed 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:33.000 himself much more. Rackel has released a statement which I 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:35.240 thought was a well written statement for what it is. 0:04:35.279 --> 0:04:37.680 I mean, obviously she had a PR team helping her 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:40.839 with it. I've read from Raquel's statement. It made me 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:44.160 think she's distanced herself from Tom. It made me think 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:47.240 she's she's second guessed because all the reports were saying 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:48.799 they're in love and they're going to try to be together, 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:50.640 and there was a report they'd kissed in a scene 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:53.760 on camera. But to me, it made it sound like 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:56.680 she's taken a pause there. Well, and Lisavaner Pump was 0:04:57.000 --> 0:04:59.680 on with Ady Cohen the other night and she did 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:03.240 say they have you taped some scenes and they were together, 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:07.479 and so maybe in the moment, because she hadn't stepped away, 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:09.160 maybe they did, maybe they kissed and they were going 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:11.640 to play this as you know, Tom and Raquel were 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.160 moving on. But now that she's pulled herself away, hopefully 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:16.320 she will come to her senses and hopefully maybe she 0:05:16.440 --> 0:05:20.159 has changed her mind. Seem right to me, that's the 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:23.240 smart thing there is, Raquel, And I'm not like, I 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:25.359 don't know, I've changed my mind on all this A 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:28.400 lot I've been going back and forth a lot. I'm 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:32.800 exhausted and stressed out by it all because I'm so 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:36.800 lost on the why still, like as I find out, 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.719 as more and more comes out about it, and as 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:41.920 I actually start to realize because I didn't watch last 0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:45.000 season of vander Pump Rules, I think I'm like, I'm 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:48.120 doing a little more research and realizing that Raquel and 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:53.400 Arianna weren't just friends, they were very close friends. And 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:57.120 I can't find the why here. I can't find what 0:05:57.240 --> 0:05:59.880 was Tom and Raquel's plan? What were they going to do? Well? 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:01.440 That brings me up because I was going to ask 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:04.680 you the question. This Lisa vander Pump theory, this was 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:07.320 her theory that she talked about on the show, is 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:11.880 that Tom and Rickell, We're gonna wait until after this 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:13.760 reunion that, yeah, that was gonna be the only thing. 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:16.520 I can think, get to the reunion, break up, and 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:19.960 then they had months to kind of let everything, Arianna breakup. Yeah, 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.120 he and Arianna would break up, He and Riquel could 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:25.120 be together, announce it, get past that reunion, and then 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:27.200 they have a few months before they start taping again. 0:06:27.600 --> 0:06:29.760 Things calm down. They come back on the next season 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:32.080 and Tom and Rickell are now a thing, and Arianna 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.360 they have broken up. So that was Lisa Vanderpump's theory 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:38.800 that actually that was my that was what I also 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:41.000 thought that could be the only maybe plan they had, 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:44.919 and that's why I guess that's why they were keeping it. 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:47.560 I don't know why though they'd keep it secret through 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:52.360 this season, like just break up sooner and like break 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:55.160 up before this season started filming. I don't know. I 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:58.880 also can't I can't get it. I think I'm more so, 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:02.440 I mean, I'm lost on the why of why Raquel 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:08.360 would be getting would be entrenching herself even closer with Arianna, 0:07:08.839 --> 0:07:13.640 would be I don't know, you had everybody loves guilt. 0:07:13.800 --> 0:07:15.960 Maybe you know, she felt so guilty about what she 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:17.600 was doing behind her back that like I'm just going 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:20.640 to try and overly lover. I don't know. It's a weird, 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:23.000 twisted thing to say, but I don't know. It's a 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:26.880 you're right, the putting the why on this, like maybe 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:30.560 Tom was telling her things about Arianna that you know, 0:07:30.600 --> 0:07:32.960 maybe Tom's painting Ariana as like because he keeps talking 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:34.960 about her mental health, Maybe he was painting her as 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:37.480 unstable in all that, and so Riquel was thinking, Oh, 0:07:37.480 --> 0:07:39.280 we really I'm in love with him and we really 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:41.040 can't tell her yet, and I've got to be there 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:43.440 for as a friend. I don't know. I think also 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:46.400 at this point, this is my opinion, I think Tom's 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:49.000 a narcissist from everything I've seen, from what we've seen 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.360 of him over the years, I think Tom's a narcissist. 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:54.840 I think he's incredibly immature. I won't be surprised if 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:58.120 more cheating comes out, that he cheated with more than 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:02.600 Roquel and Arianna. Um. I just think he thinks he's 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:04.560 smarter than everyone, and he thought he could get away 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.760 with this. Raquel. I can't. I still don't know what 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:12.200 Raquel is. I don't like why. It's so painful now 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:14.360 to watch I just watch this week's episode and to 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:18.480 watch or hang out with Arianna. It's so painful. Everything 0:08:18.520 --> 0:08:21.760 is so cringe now. Everything they do is so cringe. 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:24.400 Do you think they're going to go back and re 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:27.000 edit episodes now, the episodes they had in the can 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:30.400 as as a producer, Yeah, what what you would do 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:32.760 is you would go back and look at your stock footage, 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:35.480 the stuff that probably got left on the cutting room floor, 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:40.760 and you would bring that relationship in those scenes into 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.600 more prominence. You would definitely lay into that. What we 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:45.640 would do often is, you know, on any show, on 0:08:45.679 --> 0:08:47.640 any reality show, if you're trying to beat a deadline, 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:51.160 you start pre editing pretty early on your basic storylines. 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:53.720 But if you see something resonating with your audience, if 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.960 you see something that really pops in the ratings, clearly 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.400 you're going to go now and heavily edit yet it. 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:03.840 You will see much more of Ariana, Raquel and Tom. 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:06.680 Now here's another question. A lot of people think that 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:11.320 that Raquel is going to try to avoid the reunion. 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:13.559 The reunion tapes in two weeks. They had not taped 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:16.280 the reunion yet. I think she should go to the 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:20.680 reunion too. Why, I just I think she should own it. Yeah, 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:22.720 you have to face it. Yeah, Yeah. If she comes 0:09:22.720 --> 0:09:25.280 in and doesn't play the victim and doesn't and look, 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:26.800 she's going to take a beating. So you're going to 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:30.280 You're going to mentally have to prepare yourself, Raquel, for 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:33.600 what's going to come. Take it. Own it. Just try 0:09:33.600 --> 0:09:36.920 and diffuse it by owning everything you did. When I 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:39.520 did reunion shows, The worst thing people would do is 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:43.680 they would come back and they wouldn't own who they were. 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:47.160 It was just so difficult for somebody to admit they 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:49.560 were wrong and to take that stance, and so they 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:51.280 would fight it and it just made it worse, or 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:54.000 pouring gasoline on a fire. So I think she could 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:57.040 come out of this not unscathed, but I think she 0:09:57.040 --> 0:10:01.000 could come out of its successful and maybe heal some 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:03.240 of these scars. Tom, I don't think so. I think 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:04.959 he's a dead man walking well. I mean you look 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:07.120 at his statement too, and the things that he said, 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:11.040 like like something like I wish things had happened in 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:14.920 a different order, Tom, the only person controlling the order 0:10:14.920 --> 0:10:17.520 that all this happened in was you. You were the person. 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.520 So there's no wishing it had happened in a different order. 0:10:20.679 --> 0:10:24.160 It happened this way because you didn't known up to it. 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:26.640 I think he's defensive. I mean, there are reports that 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:28.880 he didn't as we said, like filming the scenes because 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:31.040 he was painted in a negative light. That is a 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:33.280 trade of narcissism. They've got to be the good person, 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:35.920 the good guy, and I think he and it's on 0:10:36.000 --> 0:10:38.959 everybody else. If you're not, and I think he will 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.200 come to that reunion very defensive, and it will only 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.199 be better for Raquel. I mean, I'm just strategizing here. 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:47.640 I hope it's genuine, but I think it would only 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:49.760 be better for her to come to the reunion to 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:53.480 not be defensive, to own it completely, to fall on 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:56.040 her knees and apologize, and that to you know, you 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:58.680 want to talk about that. I mean, we've talked about 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:02.720 this before, like when people cheat, the level of guilt 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:06.720 they have matters, right. And according to UM, I listened 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.560 to some of Kristen Dody, who's a former cast member 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:12.040 who's still friends with Everybody's podcast, and she said she 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:16.679 was there when Tom was with Arianna after all this. 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:18.679 She said he walked in and they're all there, and 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:20.760 he goes, oh, I know everybody hates me. I'm the 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:24.680 bad guy, and that he wasn't apologetic to Arianna, that 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:26.800 he was just kind of gaslighting her, And I'm like, God, 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:29.640 that just that sounds like narcissism to me. Or you 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:31.440 don't want everybody to think you're the bad guy. You're 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:35.760 not grasping the gravity of it. You should be groveling, apologizing. 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.120 I am so sorry I did this to you if 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.800 you really loved this person. So I don't think Tom 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:44.679 really loved Arianna. Not in the end here anyway, I 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:46.760 don't know if he's capable of healthy life. I was 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:48.480 just about to say the same thing. I don't think 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.400 he's capable of it. I think he sounds like was 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.120 he forty one? Forty one year old? Who like? You 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:56.400 are who you are? I'm in a rock band in La. 0:11:56.679 --> 0:11:59.760 I'm like, come on, dude, Like we can all evolve 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:03.080 in change, but I think who you are, you are 0:12:03.120 --> 0:12:05.680 who you are at forty. I guess that's why I 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:08.600 brought up Raquel's age and got again. I am not 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:12.240 justifying what she did at I mean, what she did 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:15.720 was horrible. No, she's not a child, and what she 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:21.120 did to her friend was horrible. The but I just 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:23.320 hope I think she maybe still has time to look 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:27.520 back and regret all this, if she can mentally get 0:12:27.559 --> 0:12:30.920 herself to the place she needs to be, because also, like, wow, 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:34.680 what a choice to I don't know what she was thinking, 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.800 or if she was thinking, because doing this meant she 0:12:37.960 --> 0:12:40.679 was going to lose this group of incredible women she 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:44.760 has she had as her best friends. Katie and and well, 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:46.640 I mean, she wasn't great friends with Katie, but she 0:12:46.800 --> 0:12:48.960 was going to lose this group Shena and Arianna and 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:53.880 Katie and Lala, and she was growing those relationships. And 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:56.640 no matter what when this Tom thing came out, like 0:12:56.679 --> 0:12:58.280 you were going to lose that group of women, and 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:00.400 a great group of women in your life is more 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:04.120 important than almost anything A bad narcissistic want to be 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.320 rock star. I think that's worth throwing your life away for. 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:12.880 I know. Look is her statement was her statement about 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.280 how she's like addicted that she mentioned things like she's 0:13:15.280 --> 0:13:18.120 addicted to love and she she gets fulfillment from that. 0:13:18.520 --> 0:13:20.680 Was that written with the help of a PR team, Yes, 0:13:21.240 --> 0:13:23.200 But I don't think it was all wrong. It still 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:25.240 felt like there was some self awareness. I thought there 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:27.480 was a lot of good self awareness, and I thought, 0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:29.680 I rate, Okay, I'm gonna challenge you. I don't know 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:31.400 if she has the self awareness yet. I think the 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:34.920 PR team's helping her, is telling her what to write. Maybe, 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:37.280 But I mean I think I think whoever wrote that 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:40.480 statement and had had some accuracy in their assessment of Raquel. 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:43.640 Look at already on this season, she's like made out 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:45.440 with or or going to be hooking up with like 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:48.480 four guys from the show. I think she's getting her 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:52.440 fulfillment and her confidence in all the wrong the attention. Yeah, 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:54.720 it's which is easy to slip into that in this 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:58.080 reality world. Um, and what she did to her friend 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:02.080 was awful but more but what Tom did to his 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:06.960 partner is awful And the worst part is he doesn't 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:10.560 seem to have any real remorse. Well, I'm all emotional 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:15.239 about this. Now, this isn't a break, This isn't over. Obviously, 0:14:15.280 --> 0:14:17.480 this scandal will roll on because now we're obviously going 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:20.120 to watch it play out on Vanderpump Rules. And as 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:22.960 Lauren just alluded to, you watch each episode now and 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:26.320 it's cruneworthy because you just will see things that make 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:29.680 your skin crawl when you see them together. And this 0:14:29.720 --> 0:14:33.600 will all lead us up to that just huge reunion. 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:36.760 And again, I am so jealous you are to not 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:40.360 be hosting that show. Andy. If you need help, if 0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:43.640 you get you know, laryngitis, call me. I will be 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:49.280 there in a heartbeat. So I do want to say, 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:53.040 you know, Arianna, I can't imagine well, I mean I 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.680 can't imagine, but the pain she's going through right now, 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:58.840 they're together almost a decade. She finds out he's sleeping 0:14:59.040 --> 0:15:01.560 with her friend. It's been going on, some people now 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:06.120 speculating it was going on even before last summer. So painful, 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:08.600 so shocking to the system. But I do want to 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:13.080 say anybody who's been cheated on, it's like Arianna, I 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:17.040 promise you this, Things will get better from here. It 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:20.080 is only bigger and better from here. You push through 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:21.680 this pain, and you're going to look back and be 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:24.680 so grateful actually that you were able to get out 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:26.640 of this when you did, you are going to be 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:30.360 onto a much better relationship. And when you're in that 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:33.040 better relationship, you're gonna think, oh gosh, I'm so glad 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:37.440 I don't have to put up with Tom's anymore. I 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:40.240 think it's it's I'm glad she's for you. This bullshit 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:43.200 rule number one, This two show pass a lot. You 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:45.920 are full team Arianna Talk Arianna. If you need another 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:48.640 PEP talk, call Elsie. She is here for you. There 0:15:48.760 --> 0:15:52.560 is no other team speaking of this team. Thank you, Elsie. 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.040 I appreciate you jumping in and putting a pin in this, 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:57.440 but we will continue to follow it and We're going 0:15:57.480 --> 0:16:01.040 to take a quick break. We come back Dancing with 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:04.160 the Stars. Cheryl Burke is going to join me. We 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:18.480 have a lot to talk about. Welcome back to the 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:22.080 most dramatic podcast ever. I'm Chris Harrison. She danced her 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:25.640 way into our hearts for over seventeen years on Dancing 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:28.720 with the Stars. But Cheryl Burke is so much more 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:33.160 than just a star from that long running show on ABC. 0:16:33.760 --> 0:16:36.600 And Cheryl joins me. Now, first of all, it's so 0:16:36.640 --> 0:16:38.680 good to see you again. It has been way too long, 0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:41.480 my friend. I know, I mean, how many years has 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:44.560 it been? Well, actually I had to actually do research. 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:47.800 It was half ass internet research where I went back. 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:51.320 I'm like, when did dancing starts? Because I remember I 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:56.120 remember vividly being in New York. We were shooting Bachelor Bacherette, 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:58.600 and I remember one of the executives saying there's going 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:02.680 to be the show where celebrities dance, and I was like, 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:04.960 what are you talking about? But that was like two 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:08.040 thousand and five, right, Yeah, so I started season two, 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:10.080 so that was back in two thousand and six. Yeah, 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:13.440 so two thousand and six, so a good seventeen year. Now, 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:15.960 because me and you did Uh, we didn't Miss USA 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:19.399 together or something. Yeah, America, Miss America America. Yeah, you 0:17:19.440 --> 0:17:22.480 were a judge on Miss America as well. Out there 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:26.159 in Vegas, our pasitive crossed many times. That is that's 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:28.160 why we were in Vegas, and that's why we went 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:31.040 out that night and danced our butts off. And that's 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:34.040 what that was when I was drinking. And we will 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:36.119 get to all that as well. Hey, So Laura and 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:39.560 I were just talking about this Vanderpump rules of fair 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:41.760 in this scandal? Have you kept up with that? Do 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:44.840 you watch it at all? Do you know about it? Honestly, 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:47.280 I don't until I had a conversation with one of 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:49.479 your producers last night, and then I listened to your 0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:54.800 last episode, and so now I'm caught up. It's pretty bonkers. Yeah, actually, 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:57.680 now that I actually know, maybe the gist of it, 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:01.160 I mean, is it though? Yeah, I guess, I guess 0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:03.359 you're right. It's not that bonkers. Is just normal life. 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:06.000 And when you put normal life on TV, it seems 0:18:06.040 --> 0:18:09.119 crazy because and that's what I really I didn't want 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:10.880 to talk to you about Vanderpump. I want to talk 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.439 to you about our lives in your life, because you 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:15.560 and I have both been through something very similar, and 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:21.879 that is public relationships, public breakups, public divorces, public everything. 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:26.480 And you know from this Vanderpump thing, you know, an 0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:29.280 affair is not the craziest thing. Affairs happened all the time, 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:32.520 but when it's public, it's very difficult. And you went 0:18:32.560 --> 0:18:36.400 through this, yeah, but you're you know, yes and not. 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:38.600 But but we sign up for it in a way. 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:40.840 I mean for me at least, being on Dancing with 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:45.000 This or was still weird. Still hard to say, very 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:47.720 hard because it's only been a few months really, but yes, 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:50.840 when I was on Dancing with the Stars, it is 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:54.119 not necessarily I don't like think that's a reality show 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:56.920 like Vanderpump for example, because it's more of like the 0:18:57.040 --> 0:19:00.520 art form, right, Like my job is to up as 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:04.200 a teacher, is just to get this person or celebrity 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:07.200 how to dance, right. So it's like they're we don't 0:19:07.359 --> 0:19:09.440 they're not looking for that type of stuff. But yes, 0:19:09.600 --> 0:19:13.479 with the tension and being on primetime television for so 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:16.800 many years, it's bound to happen for sure. Well, especially 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:19.440 you know someone like you who was on so long, 0:19:20.400 --> 0:19:22.359 several of you, there was like a small group of you, 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:25.879 I would say that became celebrities, and you were bigger 0:19:25.920 --> 0:19:29.120 than the celebrities on Dancing with the Stars, so that 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:32.400 I don't know where you draw that line or if 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:35.520 it's case by case of Okay, how much do I 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:39.159 deserve to know about Cheryl Burke? Well, I mean I 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.479 don't know. I mean as a as a viewer, you mean, yeah, Well, 0:19:42.520 --> 0:19:44.119 I just mean, you know you're on this show, and 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:47.040 you're right, it's it's not a docu reality follow series. 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:50.000 It was a dancing show. Yet you know, you you 0:19:50.040 --> 0:19:54.800 became public fodder and consumption and people wanted to know 0:19:54.880 --> 0:19:57.879 and obviously one begets the other, and that means we 0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:00.359 love you and we wanted to know, right, I mean, 0:20:00.400 --> 0:20:02.239 if nobody cared about you, then no one would care 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:05.439 about your relationship either, So that popularity came with a 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:07.600 price for you. Yeah, I mean it all started like 0:20:07.680 --> 0:20:09.800 for me, I think you know, I never signed up 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:13.200 to be famous. I guess it was the case for 0:20:13.320 --> 0:20:15.359 me back in two thousand and six and still is. 0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:18.440 Like I came here purely for the art form of dance, 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:20.080 and I just happened to be at the right place 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:22.239 at the right time, and in the right situation, right, 0:20:22.280 --> 0:20:24.080 So I didn't come here to like I didn't even 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:26.960 ask to audition, like they auditioned me. And I didn't 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:28.080 even know if I could even do it. To be 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:30.359 quite honest, I was like twenty twenty one. I just 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:33.200 had twined professional, didn't know if I could teach anyway. 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:35.280 And then I danced with Drew Lache And this was 0:20:35.480 --> 0:20:39.720 at the height of Nick Lache and Jessica Simpson's divorce, 0:20:39.840 --> 0:20:43.760 and so I again just fell into this and I 0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:46.399 never I mean, I had so much anxiety. I think 0:20:46.400 --> 0:20:50.639 that's when my anxiety really and that's really Yeah, the 0:20:50.680 --> 0:20:54.480 booze helped during that time, supposedly, but probably not. Yeah. 0:20:54.520 --> 0:21:00.000 Then game addiction and trying to cover up the Vanderpute 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:03.119 rules thing though was interesting because of the affair and 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:06.640 how public and how tawdry it was. Have you ever 0:21:06.680 --> 0:21:11.480 been cheated on? Absolutely? Yeah, I said, you know, Lauren, 0:21:11.520 --> 0:21:15.159 and I said on our podcast, if it's not one 0:21:15.240 --> 0:21:18.880 hundred percent, it's ninety nine, I mean, or you're just 0:21:19.480 --> 0:21:23.400 completely not wanting to know, right the great point, Yeah, 0:21:23.440 --> 0:21:26.919 you're just completely in denial. But being cheated on is 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:32.479 something that it is a wound that that cuts you 0:21:32.560 --> 0:21:35.240 deep because it's a different kind of betrayal and this 0:21:35.400 --> 0:21:39.040 involved a friend as well. But um, that takes it 0:21:39.080 --> 0:21:43.320 to another level, doesn't it. I mean, look, I know 0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:46.040 you're kind of not defending her, but yeah, she's young, 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:49.520 but she ain't that young. You're right, You're right. It's 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:51.800 not like she's nineteen, you know what I mean, Like, 0:21:51.880 --> 0:21:54.679 she's almost thirty years old. So like, look, at the 0:21:54.760 --> 0:21:57.480 end of the day, you either have morals and values 0:21:57.640 --> 0:22:01.880 that you follow or you don't, you know, and regardless 0:22:01.880 --> 0:22:05.040 whether you're a narcissist or not, or whatever happened, you 0:22:05.160 --> 0:22:09.240 just have to take accountability over what happened. Because with accountability, 0:22:09.280 --> 0:22:12.600 I find that forgiveness can happen, but not if you 0:22:12.720 --> 0:22:16.200 just continue to not hold yourself accountable or blame. That 0:22:16.359 --> 0:22:18.760 is the hard part. It's like, you know, I think 0:22:18.760 --> 0:22:22.400 with any relationship I was in when there was infidelity involved, 0:22:22.680 --> 0:22:25.120 if that person could have just come to the plate, 0:22:25.840 --> 0:22:28.480 there would have been there could have been a solution, 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:32.000 you know. And that takes me to your relationship because 0:22:32.000 --> 0:22:35.000 you just went through a very public you just want 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:37.240 to through a very public Everyone thinks I've only dated 0:22:37.280 --> 0:22:40.160 one person, but nope, there's a bunch of people I've dated, 0:22:40.240 --> 0:22:42.000 not but not like that, you know what I mean. Actually, 0:22:42.040 --> 0:22:43.760 I'm one of those people that know that you have 0:22:43.880 --> 0:22:47.720 dated other people. Thank you, thank you. But you've been married. 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:50.520 You were married with you know, to Matthew Lawrence and 0:22:50.880 --> 0:22:53.960 got divorced. It was a very public divorce and if 0:22:54.000 --> 0:22:57.360 something you guys kind of kept quiet. But he's now 0:22:57.440 --> 0:23:00.960 gone on his podcast and has been very vocal about 0:23:01.080 --> 0:23:06.760 how the relationship tested him and how quote, I ended 0:23:06.840 --> 0:23:10.040 up getting involved with people that I was trying to 0:23:10.160 --> 0:23:14.159 please and it never fricking works. And no, do you 0:23:14.240 --> 0:23:16.280 agree with him? There was another thing that he said. 0:23:16.320 --> 0:23:19.080 I thought it was very interesting. You can love someone 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:22.040 to death and you can be in a toxic relationship 0:23:22.080 --> 0:23:24.280 and it can spiral out of control and ruin both 0:23:24.320 --> 0:23:28.879 of your lives. Obviously referring to your relationship, was it 0:23:28.960 --> 0:23:33.000 did you think this was a toxic relationship? Look, I 0:23:33.040 --> 0:23:36.280 mean out of etiquette, Like I like to speak for 0:23:36.320 --> 0:23:38.720 myself only because I am not going to speak for 0:23:38.800 --> 0:23:43.400 other people. But look, again, it goes back to accountability. 0:23:43.520 --> 0:23:47.120 It's like, if that's what it was for him, that's fine, 0:23:47.119 --> 0:23:48.800 but that doesn't mean it was like that for me 0:23:48.920 --> 0:23:53.240 in any scenario. Now, as far as toxic, absolutely, there 0:23:53.240 --> 0:23:57.680 were moments of it, absolutely, but like the whole pleasing. 0:23:57.920 --> 0:23:59.200 By the way, this is the first time I'm hearing 0:23:59.240 --> 0:24:03.719 these quotes. I haven't googled myself recently. I've decided to 0:24:03.760 --> 0:24:07.560 stop doing that actually, But you know, it's interesting because 0:24:08.359 --> 0:24:11.639 it's all a choice. Life is a choice, Yeah, and 0:24:12.000 --> 0:24:15.760 you could either choose to people please, but that has 0:24:15.800 --> 0:24:18.959 nothing to do with the other person, you know. I 0:24:19.000 --> 0:24:22.560 think that no matter what, honesty and transparency and accountability 0:24:22.600 --> 0:24:26.320 will always get you further, no matter what. You haven't 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:28.880 googled yourself. But now that he has this podcast, he's 0:24:28.880 --> 0:24:32.919 been speaking out and well, it's here's the thing. When 0:24:33.640 --> 0:24:36.880 the average Joe or Jane goes through a divorce, goes 0:24:36.880 --> 0:24:40.719 through a breakup, especially when there's no kids involved, you go, 0:24:40.760 --> 0:24:42.360 you go your separate ways. You're not going to hear 0:24:42.400 --> 0:24:45.440 about it. You're not going to see headlines. You know, 0:24:45.840 --> 0:24:48.399 Matthew's continuing to make headlines because he's speaking about it 0:24:48.440 --> 0:24:51.000 on his podcast. And so is that a kind of 0:24:51.040 --> 0:24:56.000 different level of just toughness and just difficulty of already 0:24:56.040 --> 0:25:00.560 handling a situation that's hard emotionally, I mean, which you 0:25:00.560 --> 0:25:02.640 don't know. It doesn't hurt you, hence the not googling 0:25:02.680 --> 0:25:07.520 myself good point and you saying this. Normally I'd be like, oh, 0:25:07.640 --> 0:25:10.000 look he did good. More like I really, look, I 0:25:10.040 --> 0:25:11.480 have a lot on my plate. This has been a 0:25:11.560 --> 0:25:15.040 huge year of transitioning for me, and the biggest break 0:25:15.119 --> 0:25:16.960 up for me was with the show, to be quite honest, 0:25:17.240 --> 0:25:20.800 and that that continues for me to have. I have 0:25:20.800 --> 0:25:23.159 a heavy heart. You know, it's really sad because I 0:25:23.200 --> 0:25:27.680 feel like that marriage was definitely a longer one, yeah, 0:25:27.720 --> 0:25:31.199 and more intimate, and it was because I grew up 0:25:31.240 --> 0:25:35.040 on that show. So look, it is what it is. 0:25:35.080 --> 0:25:38.240 He's going to say what he says, and you know, 0:25:38.280 --> 0:25:40.040 I wish him well, I really do wish him well. 0:25:40.359 --> 0:25:43.520 He's uh, I don't I assume you know he's dating 0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:47.200 TLC sing or Chili. I'm a huge fan, by the way, 0:25:47.280 --> 0:25:49.560 you're a TLC fan? Really? Oh my god. I had 0:25:49.560 --> 0:25:52.560 it on my like six disc spinner at back in 0:25:52.600 --> 0:25:56.320 the nineties. Remember those Absolutely you knew you were rich 0:25:56.359 --> 0:25:59.280 when you had the five disc changer in your car. 0:25:59.600 --> 0:26:02.680 My parents, that's for sure. Yeah exactly. Um so, yeah, 0:26:02.720 --> 0:26:09.600 so's he's dating Chili now and that relationship he's been 0:26:09.640 --> 0:26:14.520 gushing quite a bit about. And he spoke about wanting 0:26:15.040 --> 0:26:18.560 to have kids and and playing you know that that's 0:26:18.600 --> 0:26:22.879 the plan as soon as possible. Is that something you 0:26:22.880 --> 0:26:25.160 guys were never into? Did you ever approach that subject? 0:26:25.320 --> 0:26:28.600 Are you surprised by that? No, I'm not surprised at all. 0:26:28.600 --> 0:26:31.080 Like he comes from a huge family, and I think that, 0:26:31.280 --> 0:26:35.160 you know, especially his mom. Like, there were definitely, you know, conversations, 0:26:35.200 --> 0:26:36.960 but I always had said, you know, as long as 0:26:37.000 --> 0:26:39.240 I have to shove my body in a dance costume, 0:26:39.600 --> 0:26:42.800 me getting or thinking about being pegged out probably isn't 0:26:43.640 --> 0:26:45.560 something I can talk about at the moment. But yes, 0:26:45.600 --> 0:26:48.040 there were discussions of like possibly freezing my eggs. But 0:26:48.080 --> 0:26:50.520 then you know, I also you know, and I'm working 0:26:50.520 --> 0:26:52.320 through it, but I don't plan on suffering from body 0:26:52.359 --> 0:26:54.879 dysmorphia in my whole life. But like, yes, with dance 0:26:54.920 --> 0:26:58.000 in general, yeah, you know that that comes into play. 0:26:58.080 --> 0:27:00.680 And then being outed years ago for being too bad 0:27:00.680 --> 0:27:02.919 for TV, you know, so it's like there's all of 0:27:02.960 --> 0:27:06.560 this trauma and I hope, I really truly hope he 0:27:06.640 --> 0:27:09.560 can actually you know, have a kid with with Chili. 0:27:09.600 --> 0:27:11.560 I think that's amazing because I think he's wanted that. 0:27:11.640 --> 0:27:14.520 You know. Um, so at least you would still go 0:27:14.520 --> 0:27:17.440 to the TLC or reunion concerts. No, I'm not going 0:27:17.480 --> 0:27:20.639 to a concert, but I was still sing along to 0:27:20.760 --> 0:27:22.880 the song no Scrubs. You know what I'm saying. Fair enough, 0:27:22.960 --> 0:27:24.920 that's that you know what we meet in the middle. 0:27:24.960 --> 0:27:27.680 That's fair enough. You know. I didn't want. I don't 0:27:27.720 --> 0:27:29.399 want to get too much into the divorce. But one 0:27:29.440 --> 0:27:32.480 thing I am very happy about. You got custody of Isabella, 0:27:32.560 --> 0:27:36.520 your bulldog. And I make light of something that was 0:27:36.560 --> 0:27:39.400 pretty silly when you guys were actually battling over this. 0:27:39.400 --> 0:27:42.040 This was your dog. That was silly. Yeah, that was silly. 0:27:42.840 --> 0:27:45.160 But the fact that you actually got custody of your dog, 0:27:45.200 --> 0:27:48.080 I was really happy about that. Thank you. Yeah, that's 0:27:48.080 --> 0:27:50.480 a win win for me. You know, like this dog, 0:27:50.560 --> 0:27:53.320 I feel bad for her. She has just felt it 0:27:53.400 --> 0:27:56.080 all like you know, dogs can actually feel like my energy, 0:27:56.080 --> 0:27:59.480 like in general humans energy. Right, So, um, Isabella has 0:27:59.480 --> 0:28:01.840 been my row. As crazy as that sounds, if you 0:28:01.880 --> 0:28:03.920 would have told me this ten years ago, that a dog, 0:28:04.119 --> 0:28:06.199 not a human being, would have been there for me 0:28:06.280 --> 0:28:08.000 more than an actually even being I would have been like, 0:28:08.000 --> 0:28:11.600 you're crazy. No, yes, it's a hell is actually therapeutic. 0:28:11.960 --> 0:28:15.439 It's called unconditional love, right, well, we all need that. 0:28:16.240 --> 0:28:19.560 And it's also called they don't talk back, right, that's 0:28:19.640 --> 0:28:22.000 maybe that's the definition of unconditional love, as they just 0:28:22.040 --> 0:28:26.760 don't talk back. So you mentioned that you were what 0:28:26.920 --> 0:28:29.359 twenty one, twenty two years old when you started Dancing 0:28:29.359 --> 0:28:32.000 with the Stars. That was your longest relationship and it 0:28:32.160 --> 0:28:34.000 was you know, when you're in the arts, when you're 0:28:34.040 --> 0:28:36.520 doing a show like you and I both did, it 0:28:36.680 --> 0:28:39.600 is personal. It's something that it's a piece of your soul, 0:28:39.680 --> 0:28:41.800 and you did that. You know, from the time you're 0:28:41.840 --> 0:28:44.480 twenty one to the time you were thirty eight years old, 0:28:45.600 --> 0:28:51.640 that is such a impactful time in your life. To 0:28:51.680 --> 0:28:54.680 go from your early twenties to almost forty years old. 0:28:55.240 --> 0:28:57.720 When you look back, like how much have you changed? 0:28:57.760 --> 0:29:01.320 Can you quantify what a different woman you are? First 0:29:01.360 --> 0:29:04.040 of all, you should hear my very first audition tape. 0:29:04.040 --> 0:29:06.480 I don't I didn't know what my favorite color was. 0:29:06.520 --> 0:29:10.200 I had really zero identity whatsoever, coming from the competitive world, 0:29:10.240 --> 0:29:13.120 which is very much like a man's world, and the 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:15.760 woman follows the man and it's like that in real life, 0:29:15.840 --> 0:29:18.240 unfortunately as well as some times, you know, And so 0:29:18.440 --> 0:29:20.680 I guess I never I was really quiet and shy, 0:29:20.760 --> 0:29:23.120 and I don't know if it's because of, you know, 0:29:23.240 --> 0:29:26.360 the abuse I suffered from as a child or what 0:29:26.400 --> 0:29:29.760 it was. But regardless, dance was always my way to move. 0:29:29.880 --> 0:29:32.240 Movement in my body was my way to express myself, 0:29:32.280 --> 0:29:35.040 not through words. So when I did this audition, they 0:29:35.080 --> 0:29:37.360 came to Harlem, where I was living at the time, 0:29:37.440 --> 0:29:40.920 and they asked me to spin do a dance move. 0:29:41.280 --> 0:29:45.240 This is when my hair was really sure that yeah, yeah, 0:29:45.320 --> 0:29:47.440 I only looked good in movement. So I just continued 0:29:47.440 --> 0:29:49.040 to move and I was like, my name is Cheryl Burke, 0:29:49.040 --> 0:29:50.760 and I like, name one thing about you, and I'm like, 0:29:50.800 --> 0:29:54.479 and I'm a tiger on the dance so crazy, And 0:29:54.560 --> 0:29:57.320 my voice was so high. I sounded like a little mouse. 0:29:57.600 --> 0:30:00.200 I had a partial English accent. Don't know why. I 0:30:00.200 --> 0:30:03.400 think because my dance coach was English and coming here. 0:30:03.720 --> 0:30:06.880 Long story short, it has helped. I have to give 0:30:06.880 --> 0:30:09.040 credit to dancing. It's kind of like they throw you 0:30:09.240 --> 0:30:11.680 in the pool of sharks. You gotta do interviews. You 0:30:11.720 --> 0:30:14.000 got to speak for yourself. You got to speak up. Also, 0:30:14.040 --> 0:30:15.600 I had just turned pro, so I didn't have a 0:30:15.640 --> 0:30:18.640 lot of teaching experience under my belt, so it was 0:30:18.840 --> 0:30:21.840 really a huge challenge. But it made me grow up 0:30:22.280 --> 0:30:25.040 as an individual and as an independent person instead of 0:30:25.080 --> 0:30:28.640 living in someone else's shadow quickly. And I'm so grateful 0:30:28.760 --> 0:30:31.000 for the show for that, you know, So you'd look 0:30:31.040 --> 0:30:35.400 back and fondly remember your time, there a lot to 0:30:35.440 --> 0:30:38.719 you totally listen. Of course, there are little things, like 0:30:38.760 --> 0:30:42.200 any relationship, there's always going to be this, but the 0:30:42.280 --> 0:30:46.920 bigger picture that I will never forget and be grateful 0:30:47.040 --> 0:30:49.000 for the show being a part of my life for 0:30:49.120 --> 0:30:52.800 such a long time, Like it really has helped like 0:30:52.920 --> 0:30:55.280 make me the woman I am today, I guess, you know. Yeah, no, 0:30:55.360 --> 0:30:56.760 I mean by the way, I said the same thing 0:30:56.800 --> 0:30:58.320 about The Bachelor. You know, I didn't want it to 0:30:58.440 --> 0:31:00.520 end the way it did. But still I can't help 0:31:00.560 --> 0:31:02.400 but be grateful because it was such a part of 0:31:02.400 --> 0:31:05.239 my adult life. And I was a little older when 0:31:05.280 --> 0:31:07.440 I started, but went through about the same time frame 0:31:08.200 --> 0:31:10.280 as you. And so yeah, it's you can't spend that 0:31:10.360 --> 0:31:13.640 much time on something. How do you feel after all 0:31:13.640 --> 0:31:15.800 of that? What was your initial reaction. I guess, like, 0:31:15.800 --> 0:31:19.360 how long did it hurt for? I guess, well, that 0:31:19.440 --> 0:31:22.240 goes There's a lot of layers to that, much like 0:31:22.320 --> 0:31:25.840 your divorce. But it was, you know, in the beginning, 0:31:26.240 --> 0:31:28.600 there was the shock because it was a band aid 0:31:28.640 --> 0:31:30.960 being ripped off. It wasn't something maybe like you did, 0:31:31.000 --> 0:31:33.080 where you thought about this for quite some time and 0:31:33.280 --> 0:31:35.000 you're like, you know what, dancing and this is taking 0:31:35.000 --> 0:31:36.840 a toll on me and my life and it's time 0:31:36.840 --> 0:31:40.400 to step away. While I had thought about that, I 0:31:40.720 --> 0:31:42.880 hadn't put those wheels in motion yet. So for it 0:31:42.920 --> 0:31:46.200 to all happen so quickly in a tumultuous way, it 0:31:46.240 --> 0:31:47.840 was a lot. It was a lot to handle, which 0:31:47.880 --> 0:31:50.000 is why I kind of stepped away from everything and 0:31:50.080 --> 0:31:53.600 didn't do a podcast and didn't do any interviews, did nothing, 0:31:53.680 --> 0:31:57.280 just just got healthy. As you know. How long was 0:31:57.320 --> 0:32:00.520 that process About a year and a half. I mean, away, 0:32:00.640 --> 0:32:02.560 I could have come back sooner, but honestly, I started 0:32:02.640 --> 0:32:05.600 enjoying it. I started really enjoying my life again. And 0:32:06.240 --> 0:32:08.440 have you gotten to that point yet? I mean, obviously 0:32:08.520 --> 0:32:11.280 you said stepping away from dancing was maybe the toughest 0:32:11.320 --> 0:32:14.320 decision of your life. Have you come to terms with it? 0:32:14.760 --> 0:32:18.320 And do you feel good about it? You know, yes, 0:32:18.480 --> 0:32:23.360 it's very empowering, but it's also sad, you know, like 0:32:23.400 --> 0:32:26.520 I can't help. But you know, it doesn't not cross 0:32:26.600 --> 0:32:28.160 my mind that oh maybe I should have just stuck 0:32:28.160 --> 0:32:32.000 it out another five Like physically I could have done it, Chris, 0:32:32.040 --> 0:32:35.040 But mentally, you know, it's like I am on such 0:32:35.320 --> 0:32:37.520 I'm on a path right now, or I am so 0:32:37.680 --> 0:32:41.360 into my mental health and I'm really into sharing my resources. 0:32:41.480 --> 0:32:44.040 Right I'm no professional, but I can share my experiences 0:32:44.120 --> 0:32:48.000 with people, and that to me that I can't explain 0:32:48.080 --> 0:32:51.400 the feeling when I can actually affect somebody else's life 0:32:51.440 --> 0:32:53.800 in a way other than me barking at them telling 0:32:53.880 --> 0:32:56.720 them to do a Shacha lockstep, you know like that. 0:32:57.000 --> 0:32:59.560 You know, it's it's so it fills me up. It's 0:32:59.640 --> 0:33:02.640 hard to explain, but you probably understand. And anyone listening 0:33:02.720 --> 0:33:05.880 right now, you know, like any relationship, and it's like 0:33:06.480 --> 0:33:08.920 I just knew that, you know, either it was going 0:33:08.960 --> 0:33:10.880 to be my call or it was gonna be theirs. Right, 0:33:10.920 --> 0:33:13.440 So it's like this was just the time, it was time. 0:33:13.480 --> 0:33:16.440 I'm thirty eight, I've done twenty six seasons. Yeah, what 0:33:16.560 --> 0:33:18.400 else can I What else do I need to prove? Like, 0:33:18.400 --> 0:33:20.200 I don't know what else to do other than like 0:33:20.240 --> 0:33:22.440 I've already proved it from the first two seasons if 0:33:22.440 --> 0:33:24.360 you were to look at it like from the material 0:33:24.400 --> 0:33:27.720 side of things. However, you know, it's like it's time 0:33:27.760 --> 0:33:29.400 to move on, Like I want to be able to 0:33:29.480 --> 0:33:32.400 challenge myself. I hate feeling stagnant with whatever I do. 0:33:32.440 --> 0:33:35.280 I hate it that two great points. First of all, 0:33:35.440 --> 0:33:37.600 it's very rare that an athlete and I do consider 0:33:37.640 --> 0:33:40.960 you guys athletes, and you are competing at the highest 0:33:41.040 --> 0:33:43.880 level of what you do, and so to go out 0:33:43.920 --> 0:33:46.760 on top is a hard thing to do because, like 0:33:46.800 --> 0:33:49.680 you said, you absolutely could have milked it, and you 0:33:49.760 --> 0:33:52.600 could have made it through another five years on your popularity, 0:33:53.000 --> 0:33:54.920 But would you have been your best? Would it have 0:33:54.920 --> 0:33:56.640 been the Cheryl Burke we all knew and loved. And 0:33:56.960 --> 0:34:00.200 to have the self awareness to say no and to 0:34:00.240 --> 0:34:02.720 step away, that says a lot about you. It takes 0:34:02.760 --> 0:34:06.120 a lot. Oh. You know, the last time I felt 0:34:06.120 --> 0:34:08.360 like this was moving from Harlem to the Los Angeles. 0:34:08.360 --> 0:34:10.200 So I know that there is a good there is 0:34:10.560 --> 0:34:13.400 you know, the path is greener, but I just have 0:34:13.480 --> 0:34:15.759 to I have to be patient. I'm very impatient. Yeah, 0:34:15.800 --> 0:34:18.239 but I definitely need to just like and also, by 0:34:18.280 --> 0:34:20.160 the way, I need to stop defining myself by my 0:34:20.200 --> 0:34:22.560 outside sources, Like I need to stop thinking that my 0:34:22.680 --> 0:34:25.239 job is who Cheryl Burke is or my friends. You know. 0:34:25.280 --> 0:34:28.279 It's like, I'm really trying to do that work and 0:34:28.320 --> 0:34:30.560 it's not easy. Well, it's not easy. When you are 0:34:31.160 --> 0:34:33.200 so popular and you're on, you know, a huge hit 0:34:33.239 --> 0:34:36.319 show and you are famous for that, it's easy to 0:34:36.320 --> 0:34:38.359 get wrapped up in that identity that you are Cheryl 0:34:38.400 --> 0:34:40.640 Burke from Dancing with the Stars. Oh my god. People 0:34:40.680 --> 0:34:42.960 still people are like, you made the worst mistake ever. 0:34:43.040 --> 0:34:45.080 And I'm like, that's why I don't sprowl on freaking 0:34:45.160 --> 0:34:50.000 social media. Yeah, one thing I've I have not heard 0:34:50.000 --> 0:34:51.960 you speak of. And now that you're gone, maybe you 0:34:52.000 --> 0:34:55.400 can be brutally honest about this. Okay. I'm like, Okay, 0:34:56.520 --> 0:35:00.279 Tom bergier on, I love him, I do too. End 0:35:00.520 --> 0:35:05.600 and a wonderful host. How did the dynamic change and 0:35:05.719 --> 0:35:10.160 what was different when they fired Tom and Aaron Andrews. Look, 0:35:10.200 --> 0:35:12.279 this is no dig at Tira, because I think Tyra 0:35:12.400 --> 0:35:15.520 is an amazing woman. But honestly, the heart of the show, 0:35:15.920 --> 0:35:20.120 it was gone. I can't even say it better than that, 0:35:20.320 --> 0:35:25.080 because you know, a lot of people don't know this, 0:35:25.160 --> 0:35:28.480 but Tom would like host mid season parties for us, 0:35:28.640 --> 0:35:30.640 and it was like casting crew, only we would have 0:35:30.719 --> 0:35:34.279 dress rehearsal. He'd come on Sundays during camera blocking and 0:35:34.640 --> 0:35:37.040 though he wasn't probably getting paid for it, like he 0:35:37.080 --> 0:35:39.759 was still wanting to interact with everybody. I call him 0:35:39.760 --> 0:35:42.319 my dance dad, you know, and he was there from 0:35:42.320 --> 0:35:45.200 the beginning and he just made light of everything. And 0:35:45.239 --> 0:35:48.520 it was a smart casting decision on you know, whoever 0:35:48.840 --> 0:35:51.880 was the showrunner or whoever decided to book Tom, because 0:35:51.880 --> 0:35:54.759 Tom made Ballroom not so because it's so serious, right, 0:35:54.800 --> 0:35:57.920 like we take our freaking this is blood, sweat and tears, 0:35:58.000 --> 0:36:02.560 like for what a nasty mirror ball trophy. But with Tom, 0:36:02.600 --> 0:36:04.880 it was like, okay, yeah, we can make light of everything, 0:36:05.000 --> 0:36:09.640 you know, and it's like it's actually he's so genuine 0:36:10.160 --> 0:36:14.319 and he's so authentic, and there was a comfort level 0:36:14.560 --> 0:36:16.319 like I don't know if I'm speaking more for the 0:36:16.400 --> 0:36:18.719 older demographic, but like at the end of the day, 0:36:18.719 --> 0:36:20.960 when you see it's like if you were to recast 0:36:21.000 --> 0:36:24.600 the cast of friends like you can't do it. Yeah. Well, 0:36:24.600 --> 0:36:27.160 and to your point, I think what he did brilliantly 0:36:27.320 --> 0:36:30.440 was walk that line. Yes, he threw in the funny 0:36:30.640 --> 0:36:33.000 you know, jabs every now and then, but everything was 0:36:33.040 --> 0:36:34.680 out of love. And he also knew how to lean 0:36:34.719 --> 0:36:37.879 into the emotional moments when there were those, he paid 0:36:37.920 --> 0:36:40.640 he paid attention and he listened and and he's just 0:36:40.680 --> 0:36:44.080 a great host on that level. Altely, it wasn't about him, 0:36:44.360 --> 0:36:46.719 right well, and that's rule number one of hosting. It's 0:36:46.719 --> 0:36:49.879 not about you. You are not the star. And that's 0:36:49.880 --> 0:36:53.040 something that's lost by a lot of host and and 0:36:53.239 --> 0:36:56.279 you know, obviously the ratings changed and you can see 0:36:56.280 --> 0:37:00.319 the numbers changed dramatically after he and Aaron left. We're 0:37:00.560 --> 0:37:03.480 not on maybec anymore right for that, So yeah, you 0:37:03.480 --> 0:37:05.080 can just look at the scoreboard. But I was just 0:37:05.080 --> 0:37:07.960 curious from the inside. I mean that's what I felt 0:37:07.960 --> 0:37:11.359 as a host on a show across the network from him, 0:37:11.360 --> 0:37:14.120 and he and I had a very special relationship for 0:37:14.120 --> 0:37:16.760 a couple of reasons that we always just got along 0:37:16.960 --> 0:37:20.359 really well. We're very different, very highly of you. He's 0:37:20.400 --> 0:37:22.759 fond of you very much. Well, he's and I'm really 0:37:22.800 --> 0:37:24.920 glad to hear that. We from our early days. He 0:37:24.960 --> 0:37:26.400 was one of the first that kind of reached out 0:37:26.440 --> 0:37:28.160 to me when I took over Miss America, which he 0:37:28.160 --> 0:37:30.720 had just hosted something that could have been an awkward 0:37:30.760 --> 0:37:35.320 moment he broke. He broke the ice and immediately was like, hey, man, congratulations, 0:37:35.360 --> 0:37:37.000 I'm happy for you. Let me know if there's anything 0:37:37.000 --> 0:37:39.759 I can do. There was another moment you probably don't 0:37:39.800 --> 0:37:42.640 know about. It was with your former partner Drew Lache. 0:37:42.960 --> 0:37:46.680 Because of a medical thing that in his family, Bergeron 0:37:46.880 --> 0:37:49.640 was maybe not going to make it back to host 0:37:49.680 --> 0:37:51.920 the show for the first time ever. So they called 0:37:51.960 --> 0:37:53.880 me on a Sunday and said, hey, Harrison, can you 0:37:53.880 --> 0:37:56.320 come in. We just need you to be on standby. 0:37:56.800 --> 0:37:59.239 You might be hosting Dancing with the Stars tomorrow night 0:37:59.239 --> 0:38:02.200 if his father died passed away, right he was. It 0:38:02.239 --> 0:38:04.120 was during he was had to do with one of 0:38:04.120 --> 0:38:06.200 his kids or something like that, and he ended up 0:38:06.239 --> 0:38:07.799 making it in. But I went to the table read 0:38:07.840 --> 0:38:10.080 and I was ready to go, and just ever since then, 0:38:10.160 --> 0:38:12.080 we just had this and they asked me to keep 0:38:12.120 --> 0:38:14.799 that quiet and never tell that story while he was 0:38:14.840 --> 0:38:17.520 still going, and so we never spoke of it, but 0:38:17.560 --> 0:38:19.760 he just we always had that kind of mutual respect 0:38:19.800 --> 0:38:22.960 for each other. He also told me about the Emmy's. 0:38:23.200 --> 0:38:25.600 Was it the Emmy's when all the hosts of primetime? 0:38:25.800 --> 0:38:29.560 Oh my god, that was hysterical. He actually, he forget 0:38:29.640 --> 0:38:31.120 to tell me, so I just let him tell me again. 0:38:31.160 --> 0:38:35.160 But like, yeah, it's so funny that that moment was great. Yeah, 0:38:35.160 --> 0:38:37.480 there was one year when all the reality show hosts 0:38:37.719 --> 0:38:41.640 hosted the Emmy's and it was he was pretty critically panned. 0:38:41.680 --> 0:38:45.919 He didn't go great. He's still traumatizing. Yeah, but thanks 0:38:45.920 --> 0:38:48.920 for opening up about that. I was just curious what 0:38:49.040 --> 0:38:52.080 the thought was because, again, a little selfish as the host, 0:38:52.560 --> 0:38:54.600 I noticed these things and it was a it was 0:38:54.640 --> 0:38:56.640 a big change at the time, and I think it 0:38:57.000 --> 0:38:59.840 I think if he ever talked about it too, it 0:39:00.080 --> 0:39:05.120 hurt him to have that taken away. Chris. Yes, it's like, look, 0:39:05.719 --> 0:39:10.319 this show is so special, the relationships you make, the 0:39:10.400 --> 0:39:13.080 lifelong friends you make. There's some seasons that are the 0:39:13.200 --> 0:39:16.799 camaraderies a lot better than others. There's also some showrunners 0:39:16.800 --> 0:39:18.879 that are better than others. To be just blunt right 0:39:19.880 --> 0:39:22.720 the end of the day, that is where it's coming 0:39:22.760 --> 0:39:25.920 from right, like if they're there, you have to in 0:39:26.000 --> 0:39:29.480 any business, you have to develop a personal relationship with 0:39:29.520 --> 0:39:33.799 these people or else there you're seeing how cold it 0:39:33.840 --> 0:39:35.799 is at times, and then you're seeing how warm and 0:39:36.040 --> 0:39:37.759 how we love to hang out with each other. It's 0:39:37.760 --> 0:39:40.080 about the environment we work in and a lot of 0:39:40.080 --> 0:39:42.520 that has to do with the people that you know. 0:39:43.120 --> 0:39:47.000 To the executive, it is funny you think though you 0:39:47.000 --> 0:39:48.920 are on the inside and you're there on the daily 0:39:49.080 --> 0:39:52.160 and you're like, how can they not see it? Like 0:39:52.200 --> 0:39:56.080 this seems so obvious to me that this works, This 0:39:56.200 --> 0:39:58.920 doesn't How are we how are we messing this up? 0:39:58.960 --> 0:40:01.680 But they do, and I they look, they want to 0:40:01.680 --> 0:40:03.560 come in, they want to put their fingerprint on it. 0:40:03.600 --> 0:40:06.000 I get it. You know it's and it's ego. It's 0:40:06.040 --> 0:40:08.640 all ego. And then it's selfish, like when when we 0:40:08.680 --> 0:40:11.479 first started this show, we were like no one cared 0:40:11.520 --> 0:40:13.640 if you hung out with producer. We were we were 0:40:13.680 --> 0:40:16.520 like parting in the green room on the floor, like 0:40:16.680 --> 0:40:20.440 smoking cigarettes, like trashing it. And it's like when we 0:40:20.640 --> 0:40:22.799 did the very first Dancing with the Stars tour, it 0:40:22.880 --> 0:40:27.000 was insanity. The popularity of this show right, and how 0:40:27.040 --> 0:40:30.680 we got treated like rock stars, and then it becomes normal, 0:40:30.960 --> 0:40:34.239 the new normal. Yeah, then it becomes a machine, and 0:40:34.280 --> 0:40:37.760 then it becomes numbers, numbers, numbers, numbers that you're forgetting about. 0:40:38.320 --> 0:40:40.560 First of all, what the show was, which was a 0:40:40.600 --> 0:40:42.880 ballroom show. Let's stick, let's just start there. You know, 0:40:42.960 --> 0:40:46.319 like the dancing has changed, but it's about It's about 0:40:46.360 --> 0:40:47.960 the humanity of it though, and you know, it was 0:40:48.000 --> 0:40:50.640 never about the day. So that's the reason why ballroom works. 0:40:50.640 --> 0:40:52.400 It's not a so you think you can dance like, 0:40:52.440 --> 0:40:54.480 we're not gonna be doing hip hop with our partner 0:40:54.520 --> 0:40:59.080 because there's no communication through the body. Ballroom works because 0:40:59.120 --> 0:41:01.200 of the fact that two people have to work together, 0:41:01.520 --> 0:41:03.680 not side by side. Yeah, it was a story. It 0:41:03.719 --> 0:41:07.280 was a relationship. And watching that and speaking of relationships, 0:41:07.640 --> 0:41:10.279 you are single now and this takes me very much. No, 0:41:10.400 --> 0:41:13.120 I'm not dating, Chris, I'm not dating. Well, this takes 0:41:13.160 --> 0:41:15.680 me back to a rumor when you and I were 0:41:15.680 --> 0:41:18.600 in Las Vegas and we talked at length about this 0:41:19.040 --> 0:41:22.719 about you being the bachelorette. Yeah, do you remember that? 0:41:23.719 --> 0:41:26.239 So freaking Lily, I even went into that meeting with 0:41:26.400 --> 0:41:29.440 I forgot to snake Michael. So you did you had 0:41:29.520 --> 0:41:32.959 meetings about being the Bachelorette and talking about Juby Kennell 0:41:33.040 --> 0:41:35.759 talked about it. I'm Jimmy kim Alive. I'll never forget it. 0:41:36.160 --> 0:41:39.560 So that was real, that was legit. Yeah, I don't 0:41:39.600 --> 0:41:41.960 know why why the hell didn't work, especially when during 0:41:41.960 --> 0:41:44.279 my drinking days I would have been great. Yeah, you 0:41:44.400 --> 0:41:47.400 would have been. After the few days I spent with 0:41:47.400 --> 0:41:50.000 you in Vegas. I think maybe I said, that's not 0:41:50.080 --> 0:41:53.279 the best idea for her right now. Yeah, probably not. 0:41:53.360 --> 0:41:55.680 It's probably a blessing in disguise, So thank you, that's 0:41:55.719 --> 0:41:59.439 what really happened. But you are single and you are 0:41:59.480 --> 0:42:03.320 not dating. Well, I'm dating myself, which is a great 0:42:03.800 --> 0:42:06.040 thing for the moment because I don't think I've ever 0:42:06.200 --> 0:42:11.399 actually enjoyed my own company. So this is I am 0:42:11.440 --> 0:42:13.880 not even interested at the moment still, and I know 0:42:13.960 --> 0:42:16.040 that I had a podcast with iHeart about it. No 0:42:16.080 --> 0:42:19.560 wonder it probably didn't work because I'm just genuinely not 0:42:19.719 --> 0:42:22.759 into it at the moment. I'm really not. So you're 0:42:22.760 --> 0:42:25.200 not open to if you bumped into somebody at a 0:42:25.200 --> 0:42:28.799 coffee shop or and they said, hey, yes, but I'm 0:42:28.800 --> 0:42:30.839 not so desperate to get on a dating app like, 0:42:31.080 --> 0:42:32.880 you know, if that happened, so be it. But that 0:42:32.880 --> 0:42:34.799 would mean I'd have to leave this house, right, So 0:42:34.840 --> 0:42:36.560 I don't like leaving this house. But if I knew 0:42:36.560 --> 0:42:39.640 a great fine mister Joe Schmo and this closet unfortunately, 0:42:39.920 --> 0:42:42.640 but if I knew a great guy and I send 0:42:42.719 --> 0:42:45.600 him your way, just saying there's a chance, yeah, I 0:42:45.680 --> 0:42:47.680 might have to do some get it like a background 0:42:47.760 --> 0:43:02.560 check and all that person. Of course, would you get 0:43:02.600 --> 0:43:06.840 married again? Absolutely, I love it, So that's that's in 0:43:06.880 --> 0:43:09.440 the cards. Yeah, I mean kids, I don't know, I 0:43:09.760 --> 0:43:14.919 don't I don't mind even contemplating like that option of adopting, 0:43:14.960 --> 0:43:17.279 like I've always I never thought that even as a 0:43:17.320 --> 0:43:20.080 little girl, and never was a huge like I want 0:43:20.120 --> 0:43:22.960 twelve kids and coming out of me naturally like I'm 0:43:22.960 --> 0:43:25.440 not really I don't need that, you know. For me, 0:43:25.560 --> 0:43:27.799 a kid is a kid, like whether you're adopted or not, 0:43:27.920 --> 0:43:30.399 Like there's so much love regardless. It seems like you're 0:43:30.400 --> 0:43:32.279 in a really healthy place right now though, if you're 0:43:32.280 --> 0:43:34.480 able to even talk about, Yeah, marriage is a thing, 0:43:34.560 --> 0:43:37.160 and maybe I do want kids down the road and 0:43:37.360 --> 0:43:39.800 I want that life. And now without dancing with the stars, 0:43:39.800 --> 0:43:43.200 you're able to work on that now. Well yeah, but 0:43:43.239 --> 0:43:45.880 I'm also not retired from work like I'm a workaholic, 0:43:46.239 --> 0:43:48.279 as everyone knows. How do you spend your days? What 0:43:48.320 --> 0:43:52.520 are you doing? I am honestly shooting so much social 0:43:52.560 --> 0:43:55.719 media content. Just call me an influencer. Okay forgetting the 0:43:55.800 --> 0:43:58.600 last twenty something seasons of Dancing with the starts, I'm 0:43:58.600 --> 0:44:01.600 starting over from scratch. Then, now you're efficiently Now you 0:44:01.640 --> 0:44:05.120 officially are a Bachelorette contestant. You're just an influencer, right. 0:44:05.160 --> 0:44:07.000 I mean I was gonna say, if there's a Bachelorette 0:44:07.080 --> 0:44:09.440 sober version, I just don't think it would work without 0:44:09.440 --> 0:44:12.799 the alcohol unfortunately. So but you know what show I'm 0:44:12.800 --> 0:44:14.640 really into is Love Is Blind. I think they should 0:44:14.640 --> 0:44:17.239 do a celebrity version. I think that would be fascinating. 0:44:17.320 --> 0:44:20.640 We can make that work. You mentioned your sobriety. How 0:44:21.120 --> 0:44:24.719 long have you been sobered? I know you have. It's 0:44:25.200 --> 0:44:27.200 fallen off the wagon and we've broken it, but you 0:44:27.239 --> 0:44:29.840 are back. How long have you been sober? Now? Almost 0:44:29.840 --> 0:44:34.319 five years? Congratulations? Thank you, that's awesome. I love that 0:44:34.360 --> 0:44:36.399 for you, and I know if I could get through 0:44:36.440 --> 0:44:40.200 this whole like year not taking a sip I feel 0:44:40.239 --> 0:44:42.480 pretty confident in myself. Thank you. I was going to 0:44:42.520 --> 0:44:44.680 ask if that has been a struggle. Oh my god, 0:44:44.760 --> 0:44:47.239 every day, Chris, every day. Yeah, No, it's something so 0:44:47.280 --> 0:44:50.040 many addict will tell you that every single day, Like 0:44:50.160 --> 0:44:52.759 whether it just comes out of you know, nowhere, or 0:44:52.840 --> 0:44:54.799 if it's because of what you're going through. But like, 0:44:54.880 --> 0:44:58.040 this is why it's so vital for me to really 0:44:58.400 --> 0:45:01.760 just date myself, because if I'm not conscious, I could 0:45:01.800 --> 0:45:03.960 be on a date and like you know, depending on 0:45:04.000 --> 0:45:06.240 my mood and someone's offering me and drink. I'm like, yeah, whatever, 0:45:06.360 --> 0:45:08.000 you know, No, I get it, and I mean I've 0:45:08.080 --> 0:45:11.640 I've been intimately surrounded by that in my life. So 0:45:11.680 --> 0:45:13.880 I understand that every day you are making that choice. 0:45:13.960 --> 0:45:17.160 And I'm so proud of you for that because I 0:45:17.200 --> 0:45:19.759 know when you go through tumultuous times, like you said, 0:45:19.760 --> 0:45:23.080 it's easy, it's so easy to slip. Yeah, it really is. 0:45:23.280 --> 0:45:26.640 And I do remember, you know, and not to kind 0:45:26.640 --> 0:45:28.880 of bring up an old wound, but as much as 0:45:28.880 --> 0:45:30.480 I loved and adored you and you were such a 0:45:30.520 --> 0:45:33.200 good friend back in the day, I remember being in 0:45:33.280 --> 0:45:36.200 Vegas and those were dark times. It's like you would 0:45:36.200 --> 0:45:38.520 go from zero to a thousand, it's like, oh, here's Cheryl, 0:45:38.560 --> 0:45:39.840 and then it's like, oh, this is the girl I 0:45:39.840 --> 0:45:43.320 don't recognize and it would happen quickly. Yeah, And I 0:45:43.680 --> 0:45:46.160 think I also was a functioning drunk, so it was 0:45:46.200 --> 0:45:49.080 like that was That's the scariest, you know, was when 0:45:49.080 --> 0:45:51.040 people when you're not drinking, people are like are you okay? 0:45:51.080 --> 0:45:54.239 Because I'm not as like social or you know, it 0:45:54.440 --> 0:45:58.000 is it's a different type of I guess scary when 0:45:58.040 --> 0:45:59.920 you're an addict. Because I also, if you were to 0:46:00.040 --> 0:46:03.279 look on paper, maybe I'm the most successful of saying 0:46:03.280 --> 0:46:05.120 this when I did Red Table talk, like maybe I 0:46:05.160 --> 0:46:08.560 was the most successful when I was drinking, which is 0:46:08.600 --> 0:46:11.120 my rock bottom, you guys, because like a rock bottom 0:46:11.120 --> 0:46:14.600 doesn't necessarily mean being found in a you know, alley 0:46:14.600 --> 0:46:18.080 way and then being you know, heading to rehab. Like, no, 0:46:18.800 --> 0:46:21.120 this is a rock bottom for me as well, because 0:46:21.120 --> 0:46:25.640 you're like, well, then my lazy brain, which sometimes happens, 0:46:25.840 --> 0:46:28.759 it'll like go in there, my unconscious brain will be like, oh, 0:46:28.800 --> 0:46:30.799 you know what, if you were the most successful, then 0:46:30.840 --> 0:46:32.920 you might as well start drinking again. You pulled it off, 0:46:33.040 --> 0:46:35.319 you can do it again, right, right? Was there ever 0:46:35.400 --> 0:46:39.040 a time that you were drinking, drunk or on anything 0:46:39.080 --> 0:46:41.960 while you were working on Dancing with the Stars. I 0:46:42.000 --> 0:46:44.640 was always um, well, I used Dancing with the Stars 0:46:44.640 --> 0:46:48.000 like a sauna, so it was like I drank hardcore, 0:46:48.200 --> 0:46:50.279 then I would sweat it out. My partners would guess 0:46:50.280 --> 0:46:51.960 what I was drinking the night before, then I would 0:46:51.960 --> 0:46:53.839 do it again. This is the reason why I'm no 0:46:53.920 --> 0:46:56.279 joke ging here aside, right, but like seven days a 0:46:56.320 --> 0:46:58.759 week I was out And this was before Uber. That 0:46:58.880 --> 0:47:02.279 was scary. Yeah. Well, by the grace of God, you 0:47:02.280 --> 0:47:06.439 are here, yes, and you're thriving, and you're in such 0:47:06.440 --> 0:47:09.080 a good place, and I'm just happy to see the 0:47:09.080 --> 0:47:12.279 way you're you're thriving right now and you're growing. You've 0:47:12.320 --> 0:47:14.200 always been amazing person, but I'm glad to see you 0:47:14.200 --> 0:47:18.920 figuring that out now. Thank you and congratulations on this podcast. 0:47:19.040 --> 0:47:21.439 This is amazing. It's been awesome. It's been really fun. 0:47:21.520 --> 0:47:24.160 It has been a great platform to have to kind 0:47:24.160 --> 0:47:26.160 of speak in this way and then to rekind of 0:47:26.239 --> 0:47:28.600 connect with some of my friends and bring some of 0:47:28.600 --> 0:47:31.120 these personal stories out. Like you, It's like it's not 0:47:31.160 --> 0:47:33.000 just Cheryl Burke from dancing. This is a woman I've 0:47:33.040 --> 0:47:35.719 known for quite some time. Our paths of cross and 0:47:35.800 --> 0:47:39.359 intertwine many times totally. And I hope to actually hang 0:47:39.360 --> 0:47:41.439 out behind the camera because I would love to ask 0:47:41.480 --> 0:47:44.200 you some more questions about how you're handling this transition 0:47:44.680 --> 0:47:47.960 of yours. It's really must be really challenging at times, 0:47:47.960 --> 0:47:50.440 you know it has been. And someday, thank you, by 0:47:50.440 --> 0:47:52.440 the way for saying that, And someday I'll be teaching 0:47:52.440 --> 0:47:56.520 a master class on this. Yes, yeah, please, thank you, Cheryl. 0:47:57.080 --> 0:47:59.480 I appreciate the time and the insight, and I will 0:47:59.480 --> 0:48:02.520 talk to you and my friend bye. And that was 0:48:02.600 --> 0:48:09.759 Cheryl Burke, an interesting person that I have watched intimately 0:48:09.960 --> 0:48:12.560 since she began her journey on Dance with the Stars. 0:48:12.560 --> 0:48:15.880 Because our shows were so intertwined, we went to visit 0:48:16.239 --> 0:48:18.799 and be on Dancing Obviously a lot of people from 0:48:18.800 --> 0:48:21.440 The Bachelor Bachette were on there, and so we saw 0:48:21.480 --> 0:48:23.960 them all the time. And then there were ABC events 0:48:23.960 --> 0:48:27.200 and they would always put the Reality people together, and 0:48:27.280 --> 0:48:30.560 so we got to know, you know, Maxim and the 0:48:30.640 --> 0:48:33.279 Huffs and Cheryl, and we spent a lot of time 0:48:33.320 --> 0:48:36.839 with these people, and so you to know the struggles 0:48:36.880 --> 0:48:40.719 that she went through on so many levels and to 0:48:40.760 --> 0:48:44.000 see how she's come out on the other side successfully 0:48:44.640 --> 0:48:47.680 is a miracle but also wonderful. So my thanks to 0:48:47.760 --> 0:48:50.640 Cheryl Burke and my thanks to you for listening once 0:48:50.680 --> 0:48:52.839 again on the Most Dramatic Podcast Ever. And I will 0:48:52.840 --> 0:48:54.960 talk to you next time because we have a lot 0:48:55.000 --> 0:48:57.840 more to talk about. Thanks for listening. Follow us on 0:48:57.880 --> 0:49:00.799 Instagram at the Most Dramatic Pod Ever and make sure 0:49:00.840 --> 0:49:03.000 to write us a review and leave us five stars. 0:49:03.400 --> 0:49:04.520 I'll talk to you next time.