The former 'DWTS' pro talks to ET about coming close to being the Bachelorette and why she's keeping her romantic options open.
Cheryl Burke is keeping her options open.
The former Dancing With the Stars pro opened up about her love life and how close she actually came to becoming The Bachelorette with ET's Cassie DiLaura at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscars viewing party for the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday.
On a recent March episode of Chris Harrison's podcast, The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever, Harrison and Burke discussed the moment when she was seriously being considered to be the Bachelorette. "Chris Harrison, I knew this interview was gonna get me in trouble!" Burke exclaimed when ET asked about the revelation.
The 38-year-old dancer and TV personality, who divorced actor Matthew Lawrence in 2022, elaborated on those behind-the-scenes conversations, sharing that she had "meetings" and hinted that they were seemingly close to the finish line. "Like, we we were about to do this thing," Burke said.
"I don't know if Chris had the final word," she further explained. "But this was like, during those darker days, where... I was a little rowdy maybe. It wasn't meant to be because obviously it didn't happen."
Even though things didn't work out, Burke still has a positive outlook and is keeping her heart open for love if it comes her way again. "I have always been open to doing new things. And, you know, hey, I'm still looking for love," she confirmed, before clarifying, "I mean, I'm not looking, you know what I'm saying?"
For now, Burke is focusing on herself. "I'm dating myself at the moment," she said. "I totally would get married again. I mean, I know we should probably go from like meeting somebody first, not like straight to the altar, but our time is limited on this planet."
If she does meet someone who she feels is worthy of a lifetime with, Burke has an idea of what she's looking for. "Someone who, honestly, first of all, is OK and secure with themselves. That really is a person who knows that we are here to evolve as human beings and who wants to grow and continue to learn and stay curious," she said. "I think that that is very important and whether we're on the same path, it's irrelevant, I think it's just someone who knows that life continues to move forward."
Burke gave herself credit for making it this far on her life's journey, even with its ups and downs.
"My heart is full. I'm so proud of myself in a way which I never thought I would ever say that to myself or about myself. But it's doing the work from inside out instead of defining yourself from the outside in," she said. "And I think in this business, especially, it's hard, right? Because we all want that reassurance. We all want that round of applause. But really, if you can't fill that up yourself, it's not consistent, right? You're stuck with you for the rest of your life. And that's a forever journey. It's not overnight."
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