Discover Cheryl Burke’s Top Partners from ‘Dancing With The Stars’

Throughout her tenure, she partnered with a wide range of celebrities, delivering memorable performances and earning two Mirrorball Trophies. Among her partners, Burke danced alongside NFL legend Emmitt Smith, whose rhythm and chemistry helped them secure a championship in Season 3, and Rob Kardashian, whose remarkable growth transformed him into a standout runner-up in Season 13.

Additionally, her winning collaboration with Drew Lachey in Season 2 remains one of the most iconic in “DWTS” history, thanks to their unforgettable freestyle performance to “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.”

Among her many memorable partners and performances, Cheryl Burke highlighted two standout contenders she especially loved working with.

On the December 1 episode of her podcast, “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans,” Burke answered fan-submitted questions and kicked things off with a surprising revelation about which of her 25 partners she was “shockingly surprised” to have had “the most fun” with, one of whom was Rob Kardashian.

“I didn’t expect to have such a great season like I did [with them],” Burke admitted. “I love when my expectations going in aren’t very high, and it’s shocking at the end how far we’ve got,” she continued.

Burke and Kardashian were the runners-up in Season 13 in 2011.

She also named Jack Osbourne as one of her most memorable partnerships. “These two men — they’re totally not what you would expect, especially nowadays. Jack is sober,” she said. “And I just love the fact that we got along and they didn’t take themselves too seriously.” She and Osbourne finished third on Season 17 in 2013.

Reflecting further, Burke noted that many of her favorite seasons involved partnering with reality stars. “This is the thing: they’re so used to cameras in their face that they don’t try and be another person. They are just who they are because cameras don’t faze them.”

“So I had a great time with each of them in different ways, but the fact that people were betting against us and we made it to the finals is pretty spectacular,” she continued of her championship seasons with Osbourne and Kardashian. “Both of those partnerships are memories that I will take with me and cherish forever.”

Burke’s journey on “Dancing with the Stars” has been filled with diverse partnerships, each bringing unique challenges and moments.

NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco (Season 10) brought charisma to the ballroom, sparking dating rumors that Cheryl later clarified were unfounded as they remained good friends. Gilles Marini (Season 8 and All-Stars) dazzled with his technical skill and sultry routines, earning the pair a runner-up finish in Season 8. Juan Pablo Di Pace (Season 27) wowed audiences with perfect scores late in the season, but their shocking fifth-place elimination left fans and judges stunned.

Burke has been candid about her challenging partnership with “Beverly Hills, 90210” star Ian Ziering (Season 4), citing their lack of chemistry despite finishing in fourth place. In Season 30, she and Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby faced unique obstacles, including performing remotely due to COVID-19, yet their determination secured them a third-place finish.

Lastly, her partnership with former U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay (Season 9) stood out for its unusual pairing, though it ended prematurely when DeLay withdrew due to injuries.

“It was a fight,” Burke claimed of her farewell performance. “It wasn’t just given to me, like ‘Oh, okay, we’re going to do a beautiful send-off. It was a fight that my team had to really put their foot down and basically put everything into perspective for them. Like, ‘Wow, you don’t want to give her anything, not even a little goodbye?’”

While Burke emphasized that her departure was voluntary, she admitted she had hoped for a promotion that both she and her team realized was never going to happen.

“Did I really want to leave it for good and be done? No,” she admitted. However, she said she does now feel closure. “I have no ill will towards anyone, really, but I could still be really hurt and disappointed that I’ve lost friendships along the way, and that is called grieving,” she said. “And everyone grieves differently, and for me, because a lot of these people I’ve known for almost two decades, it’s going to take time to really put that to rest.”