Cheryl Burke is an extremely talented dancer, and she has 26 seasons of experience on “Dancing with the Stars” before her 2022 exit. When Burke returned to the ballroom as a special guest judge for Week 7 of Season 34, fans were excited. However, many have taken issue with the way the former Mirrorball champion scored the contestants.
Cheryl Burke Returns to the Ballroom
Burke appeared alongside judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. She has been where the competitors and their professional dancers have been before, and she has even won the Mirrorball Trophy early in her career: in Season 2 alongside Drew Lachey and in Season 3 with former NFL player Emmitt Smith.
Fans may have expected Burke to go easier on the celebrities because she could relate to them. Although her return to the ballroom was initially celebrated, Burke quickly became known for her strict scoring. After the performances, many fans expressed how they felt she underscored celebrities on the night.
The biggest issue? Alix Earle’s incredible Tango to “bury a friend” by Billie Eilish. Earle wowed alongside partner Val Chmerkovskiy and scored a near-perfect score of 39 out of 40. It would have been a perfect score had Burke not given her a 9. Fans flooded the official “Dancing with the Stars” Instagram page with their thoughts on Burke’s judging.
What Fans Think of Cheryl Burke’s Scoring
Fans have flooded social media with their thoughts. “Last time i checked you are supposed to judge for the performance not the choreography…” a fan wrote. Other reactions include, “Cheryl are you kidding, Cheryl whyyyyyyyy,” and “THIS DESERVED A PERFECT SCORE.”
But there have also been some fans who have come to Burke’s defense and they feel her scores were fair. “Everyone mad at cheryl for ruining the perfect score but they broke hold so therefore it wasn’t a perfect dance… it was a really good dance but by the literal standards cheryl mentioned it’s not perfect,” a fan shared.
Fans were also upset with Burke’s scoring of Robert Irwin and professional partner Witney Carson. “Cheryl criticizes everyone! Robert nailed it!” a comment reads.
On a post of Dylan Efron and pro partner Daniella Karagach’s Viennese Waltz to “Can’t Help Falling In Love (DARK)” by Tommee Profitt and Brooke, fans commented on Instagram about how they felt Burke’s scoring was off. “Okay cheryl is DONE after that 8,” a comment reads. “Cheryl…… whose idea was it for her to guest judge,” another upset fan wrote.
