Cheryl Burke on ‘Surreal’ ‘DWTS’ Return & What Kind of Judge She’ll Be (Exclusive)

Cheryl Burke is back in the ballroom tonight!  

“Extra” host Derek Hough spoke with Cheryl, who is joining the judges table this week for Halloween night.

Of being on the show, Cheryl said, “It’s so surreal. I was on the show for 26 seasons…The fact that I’m just back in general and haven’t touched my foot on that floor since I retired is crazy.”

Cheryl asked for some tips from Derek, asking, “How do you say everything you need to say in 15 seconds? And is the clock still there? Like ticking down?” 

Derek answered, “You have to lock in your score from the final dance mov before they get to you. Literally within 5 seconds, you have to lock in your score and you can’t change it right before you speak. That honestly, it’s one of the harder parts.”

As for what she’s looking for in a performance, Burke answered, “Authenticity. I’m looking for authenticity. Staying true to the dance, correct technique, but also emotion… And like Len has always said in the past, you know, careful doesn’t win ‘Dancing with the Stars.’”

Derek commented, “Len was a big inspiration and nobody will ever live up to him. He’s the best. And I actually before it was our last season. And I asked him, I said, ‘Do you have any Lenisms?’ Like a book of Len that I could like take with me ’cause like he would just way describe things was so great.”

Burke also weighed in on the TikTok reactions to this season of “Dancing with the Stars,” saying, “These people who think they’re experts. They think they’re experts. The bullying needs to stop… I don’t like that at all. I mean, everyone works so hard on that show. I mean, I actually started following some of these people ’cause they’re so entertaining.”

Cheryl gave her own take on this season so far. She said, “It is so competitive. You can tell the camaraderie is just intact. I love Dylan [Efron]. He reminds me of Rob Kardashian… Oh, yeah. Big time. Just because he’s such a fish out of water, but he’s trying so hard and he’s like living and breathing dance and you know that he’s just fallen in love with it. But it was his worst nightmare.

“Like Rob Kardashian, I couldn’t even get him into the studio. Like the first, he’s like, “I think I’m going to quit.” I’m like, “Well, no, we can’t quit. Like, we’re going to start. Like, I promise it’s not that scary.” And then he got really into it. Remember?”

Derek chimed in, “No, he was fantastic, by the way. Rob, he had like that breakthrough moment. I love that. Dylan, you’re right. Dylan has that that that whole, like, kind of dark horse energy and you can tell he’s like really thinking about it.”

For Cheryl, Jack Osbourne and Rob stood out from all her 26 seasons. She noted, “I just love underdogs, but I also love that I they’re just lovely people. So when you’re a good person, you know, obviously you want to just work extra hard for them, you know.”

Burke revealed that she’s a fan of Elaine Hendrix this season, gushing, “I am in love with her. I want to be her when I grow up. She is superwoman. I think she’s amazing. She really is. I think she’s been underrated.”

Would Cheryl ever return to the dance floor on “Dancing with the Stars”?