Dancing With the Stars’ Sharna Burgess Opens Up About Her Rocky Relationship With the Show
Sharna Burgess, a beloved member of the Dancing With the Stars family, recently shared some candid thoughts about her journey on the show. Speaking on the “Oldish” podcast, which she co-hosts with Brian Austin Green and Randy Spelling, Burgess, 38, admitted that her last five years on the show had been somewhat tumultuous.
It wasn’t the show itself causing the turbulence, though. Burgess has a deep affection for the program. The upheaval began when a new executive producer took the reins about five years ago. At that time, despite her previous victory with Bobby Bones in Season 27, Burgess wasn’t invited back.
Burgess and Bones had sparked controversy by winning despite the lowest combined scores among the finalists. Reflecting on this win, Burgess said, “My win with Bobby was I think the most explosive and controversial in Dancing With the Stars history, and I got caught up in this whirlwind of hate for that win which was really yucky. I went into this space of self-blame when I wasn’t asked back.”
The following season, Burgess did return, but her journey back was far from smooth. Paired with a challenging partner, she had to avoid being alone with him after a few weeks due to unspecified issues. Their journey on the show was short-lived as they were eliminated quickly.
While Burgess didn’t mention the partner by name, it’s worth noting that she was initially paired with Jesse Metcalfe, and they were the fourth couple to be eliminated. The next season, she danced with her real-life partner, Brian Austin Green, until his elimination in the third week.
Following her experience on Season 30 with Green and the arrival of their 15-month-old son, Zane, Burgess made the decision not to return for Season 31. Becoming a first-time mom was a significant factor in her choice. However, she expressed a desire to return in the future, saying, “It was always, ‘I want to come back next year,’ and ‘Of course, we love you, we’ll always have you.'”
But, despite the hopes and expressions of love from the show’s team, Burgess revealed that she wasn’t asked back for Season 32. As the show introduced some new contestants like Ariana Madix and Jamie Lynn Spears, Burgess shared that she didn’t receive the anticipated phone call. This was a challenging moment for her, leaving her to ponder the future of her Dancing With the Stars journey.