Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke was originally partnered with Dwight Howard prior to her retiring from the show.
“Fun fact, that was my partner for season 31, my last partner,” Burke said on the September 5 episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast. “So I keep saying that I was supposed to be with someone else, so it was him,” she added.
Burke said that she was on her way to LAX when she got a call from producers. She was told that Howard was dropping out of the season at “the very last second.”
“I have to say I am happy that, first of all, he didn’t commit to it because he wasn’t going to be able to make camera blocking days, and he wasn’t going to make a couple live shows, which is not okay,” she continued.
Burke went on to compete on season 31 alongside Sam Champion. The two finished in 13th place.
Dwight Howard Would Have Been Cheryl Burke’s Last Partner on DWTS
Burke decided to retire from “Dancing With the Stars” after season 31.
“This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one,” she captioned an Instagram post in November 2022.
“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. And I honestly don’t know who I would be today without them. I also know that it is time for me to begin the next phase of my career, although dance will always be a part of me,” she added.
Had she danced with Howard on that season, he would have been her last partner. However, she says that she’s happy how things played out — and she thinks Howard will do well paired with Daniella Karagach.
“I’m happy Daniella has him. I think it was meant to be, and I think she knows. If anyone knows how to work someone that tall and a basketball player, it’s her for obvious reasons,” Burke said on her podcast.
Some People Think Dwight Howard Is the One to Beat on Season 33
The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” hasn’t started yet and some people are convinced that Howard is going to be a major contender. Aside from fans, Howard’s season 33 co-stars have also pegged him as being the biggest threat on the season. Perhaps it’s because Karagach won her one and only Mirrorball Trophy with Iman Shumpert — another very tall, former basketball player.
In an interview following the cast announcement, Howard responded to some of his co-stars saying that he’d be a potential frontrunner.
“Thank you guys. We’re going to just go out there and really give it our best. I know everybody’s expecting us to do so many great things. But it starts with day one,” Howard told Us Weekly.
“Practice makes perfect. We’re gonna go out there and I’m gonna make sure I do whatever I can to give my partner the best opportunity for us to shine out there,” he added.
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