Dancing With The Stars: Will Cheryl Burke Return For Len Goodman Tribute?

Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) has planned an upcoming tribute episode for the late judge Len Goodman. And many DWTS fans assumed that Cheryl Burke would participate.

However, the 39-year-old just answered fans’ questions. And DWTS also revealed which pros will return. Keep reading to learn more. 

Dancing With The Stars – Cheryl Burke Cheers Pros

Cheryl Burke wowed Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) fans for 26 seasons. But last year, the DWTS pro revealed her plans to leave the dance competition show.

However, fans still assumed that Cheryl would participate in the upcoming Dancing With The Stars tribute to the late head judge Len Goodman.

But the 39-year-old dance pro shared that she will not participate. And Cheryl revealed why via People. “For those of you asking if I’ll be a part of Len Goodman’s tribute next week on DWTS, unfortunately, I wasn’t invited,” she shared on social media. 

“However, I’ll be there in spirit and can’t wait to cheer my former colleagues on!” added Burke. But she ended on a positive note. And the dance pro sent “love and light to everyone. #riplen.”

But Dancing With The Stars co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough have shared details about how the show will pay tribute to Goodman, who died at age 78 in April. And DWTS has planned a tribute amid the October 24 episode of Dancing With The Stars.

DWTS Spoilers – Who’s In Len Goodman Tribute?

But though Cheryl will  not participate, many former Dancing With The Stars pros will return to help pay tribute to the late head judge. For instance, Maks Chmerkovskiy and Kym Johnson-Herjavec will participate. And Tony Dovolani, Anna Trebunskaya and Edyta Śliwińska will join them. Watch for Karina Smirnoff, Louis van Amstel and Mark Ballas as well. And Hough shared her view that Len will always remain in their hearts.

But to ensure Goodman’s legacy, Dancing with the Stars changed the name of the Mirror Ball Trophy. And exec producer Conrad Green explained his plans. “The Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy will now be lifted on Dancing with the Stars,” he said.

And Green compared it to “the Vince Lombardi trophy lifted at the Super Bowl. We wanted to make Len a permanent part of this show.” And the renamed trophy will help “remind people [of] the importance he’s had to Dancing with the Stars,” added Green. “Len loves this show. And [he] will always be there, looking down on us.”

DWTS Spoilers – Grab That Tissue Box!

And Ribeiro shared that the Dancing With The Stars pros want to pay tribute to the late head judge this season. “I can guarantee you that every one of those pros will be making sure that the routines are still designed for Len,” noted the DWTS host.

“I know I’ve talked to a few of them,” added Ribeiro. “And they will be putting in specific steps that Len used to love, just to make sure that the content is still there for Len.” But fans might want to keep a box of tissues handy for that tribute episode. And the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum promised not a “dry eye in the house” amid the tribute for Goodman.

Tell us what you think. Do you feel DWTS found the right way to honor Len Goodman? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more Dancing With The Stars news.