Cheryl Burke is quitting Dancing With the Stars and here’s why

Cheryl debuted on DWTS in season two in 2006. She and her partner Drew Lachey won the Mirror Ball trophy. The following season, Cheryl again reached No. 1, this time with the retired NFL star. Emmit Smith. This marked the final Mirror Ball Trophy win for Cheryl, who went on to compete again on the show from seasons four through 19, and then again in seasons 23, 25, and 27 until the present.

Cheryl noted several reasons for her departure. “There is wear and tear,” she said, noting the physical cost of rehearsals and dancing on a weekly show. “But also, my heart tells me to see what else is out there. We’re human and we’re evolving. I do. At least I’d like to say I’m a work in progress forever.”

She continued: “I know though that it’s not the end of my career and I want to be able to see what else is out there. And Dancing with the stars, the program is so loaded. I have so many projects I’ve worked on.”

For the past few months, Cheryl has also been busy with her iHeartRadio podcast, Burke in the game. It was there, in October, that she said for the first time that “it’s my last season as a dancer” on DWTS.

The podcast was launched in May, when she was in the midst of a divorce from Matthew Laurent. Cheryl discusses her personal struggles and also consults with experts on her program. “Through this platform that I was blessed to receive,” Cheryl told E! News, “I can use my voice and hopefully help people along the way.”

In her Instagram post, she wrote, “I’m excited to grow, to be challenged in new ways, to have the ability to expand my commitment to mental health advocacy, to focusing on my newfound love for podcasting, and I’m ready to face the uncertainty (even if it’s scary as hell) of what the future holds – I do have a few things up my sleeves though , so don’t worry.”