Cheryl Burke’s Initial Reaction to ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Partner Ryan Lochte

Cheryl Burke is back for Season 23 of “Dancing with the Stars” after three seasons away, and she's partnered with the most-talked-about celebrity, swimmer Ryan Lochte, fresh off his lying scandal at the Olympics in Rio.

On Wednesday, “Extra's” Mario Lopez sat down with Cheryl at Universal Studios Hollywood, where she revealed how surprised she was to find out Ryan was her partner. She commented, “First of all, shocked that he was actually doing the show, and I was like, 'Oh, I hope this guy can dance a little bit and he has some rhythm.'”

Ryan is doing his best to put what happened in Rio behind him with the help of “DWTS." She said, “I think 'Dancing with the Stars' is all about redemption… And I think everyone should give him that chance… I think he's really hit a low point in his life and he really wants to move on from it… Cha cha it off, ya know?”

Though Ryan is a pro in the swimming pool, he needs a little help with his moves on the dance floor. She dished, “Working on it… I got a lot of work to do.”

Burke believes that Lochte will definitely win fans over with or without the moves. “I mean, he really, he has so much on his plate right now, and I think this is the best thing he can do, is just try not to think about everything and come and dance with me, you know? I think people really should give him a second chance 'cause he is a great guy.”

Burke pointed out that she learned how much she missed dancing while doing her show in Japan. She shared, “Honestly, this is what I was born to do.”

Later in the day, Ryan and rumored girlfriend Kayla Rae Reid were spotted enjoying a night out at celeb hotspot The Nice Guy in West Hollywood.