Cheryl Burke Remembers All Her 'Dancing With the Stars' Partners In Touching Tribute

Following her recent exit from "Dancing With The Stars," Cheryl Burke has paid tribute to the numerous celebrity partners she danced with over the years.

After hinting at it for several months, the professional dancer eventually announced that she would not be returning to the show after the just concluded season 31. She has stayed true to her word, making her final bow in the season finale, which aired on the streaming platform Disney + on November 21.

Over the weekend, Burke posted a reel set to the Goo Goo Dolls' 1998 song, "Iris," to Instagram. The clip featured many images of the 38-year-old and her 24 celeb dance partners such as Jack Osborne, Ian Ziering, Terrell Owens, and Rob Kardashian. 

The California-born beauty also highlighted her seasons two and three mirrorball trophy wins with dance partners Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith, respectively. Burke, who has compared exiting 'DWTS' to her divorce, began under the post:

"To all of my dance partners who each has played a pivotal role in my life, THANK YOU. Thank you for the life lessons, for trusting me with your vulnerability, and for ALWAYS giving each dance your all." 

She mentioned that even though they experienced "times of blood, sweat, and tears," she was confident that none of her multiple dance partners "has ever let me down." The "Dance Moms" star finished the caption by penning, "thank you again for trusting me, allowing me to mold you into dancers, and for the amazing ride that I'll never forget. LOVE TO YOU ALL!"

Over 12,000 fans have liked the "Dancing Lessons" author's heartfelt post, and over 200 others have commented. Many used the opportunity to eulogize her, with one person commenting, "l've watched you since day one and always thought how unbelievably talented, beautiful and amazing you were and are. I'll miss you."

The Blast previously shared that Burke touched on her departure from the series with a throwback photo of herself in a red dress, dancing. "I am sitting here full of so many conflicting emotions about the words I am about to write…" she began her sentimental caption. Continuing, she wrote:

"Tomorrow night will officially be my final dance as a pro dancer on @dancingwiththestars. This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one. This show has been my 2nd family since I was 21 years old. The cast, crew & fans have seen me through my highest highs & some of my lowest lows, & I honestly don't know who I would be today without them."

She expressed her excitement at focusing her attention on the "ability to expand" her commitment to "mental health advocacy" and focusing on her "new found love for podcasting." As for her exit, Burke explained:

"I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to get through it without tears but even with the heartache & emotions, I am grateful to have the opportunity to perform this dance."

She concluded that she was looking forward to the next chapter of her career, adding, "but man will this one be hard to beat! Until next time…Love you all, always & forever xx."

Although it might seem like Burke's decision to leave 'DWTS' was a somewhat hasty one, The Blast shared earlier this month that it was anything but. The "I Can Do That" star opened up about the difficulty in deciding to leave the competition on an episode of her "Burke in the Game" podcast.

After mentioning people's curiosity on whether or not season 31 would be her last time on the ABC show, the two-time champion said, "The answer to that question is likely yes; this is my last season, as a dancer, that is. To have been a part of a show for 26 seasons, it is hard for me [to leave]."

The 2005 San Francisco Latin Champion divulged that her continuous return to the beloved ballroom might have had something to do with the challenge of saying "goodbye to a show and a family" that she has known for over two decades. 

She explained that while she would quit dancing on the show in a professional capacity, she was more than available to land a gig as a judge or host.