‘DWTS’ Brooke Burke Recalls Almost Quitting Mirrorball Winning Season

Brooke Burke has openly discussed how her winning season on "Dancing with the Stars" could have easily gone down the drain.

Sharing her experience on the latest episode of fellow "DWTS" alum Cheryl Burke's podcast, the fitness personality admitted that she and her dance partner Derek Hough had a multitude of problems offscreen that made her want to quit the dance competition series. Luckily, her then-partner offered her advice that turned the situation — and her relationship with the professional ballroom dancer — around. 

When Brooke joined Cheryl on her "Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans" podcast recently, the pair had a swell time discussing a wide range of topics. Things got even more interesting when Brooke delved into her formerly strained relationship with Derek.

As the 52-year-old recalled, she and her former dance partner had faced significant challenges finding their rhythm, often having "issues off camera and in rehearsals."

Besides those problems, the duo also had personal difficulties, such as Derek being "exhausted" because "he was recording an album at night" and Brooke being "fried" and "hormonal" thanks to her having "a 3-month-old baby" and staying "up all night, training all day." It also didn't help that the "Wild On!" host sustained an injury around that same period. Of that she said:

"I kind of could have tapped out because I had an injury. I was done. I just wanted to go back to what was easy. I was literally taking Epsom salt baths in the morning getting ready to go to rehearsal. I was coming home at night, like, crying in the shower because I was in pain. I was hurting, and I didn't have faith in my body."

It was at that point that her then-husband, David Charvet, offered Brooke some life-changing advice not to quit. With that in mind, the "She's Got the Look" star called for "a meeting of the minds" where she and Derek "made a commitment and promise to meet each other with honesty and compassion."

"As soon as we changed our mindset and as soon as we got in it to win it and as soon as we met each other with honesty, something magical happened and we found faith in each other — at least I did — and we just decided to win," the mother-of-four detailed.

Throughout the season, especially after a round of "valuable" couples therapy arranged by producers, Brooke confessed that she ended up developing feelings for Derek. She confided in Cheryl, stating:

"If I hadn't been married... I would have actually hoped we would have had a love affair." 

This revelation seemingly surprised her, as she added, "I don't think I've ever said that." Cheryl also shared that, at the time, Derek was privately expressing how attractive he found his partner. Reiterating her earlier point, the "Melissa & Joey" actress expressed:

"I would have had an affair with him. But listen, let me tell you why: You are intertwined with someone's body when you're not a dancer. There is no way that I have ever been so connected — besides with a lover or a husband — than I was with Derek. And it's every single day."

She wrapped up the confessional by claiming that she had only ever experienced that level of intimacy with one person outside the ballroom and it was "life-changing."

In June,  the "Rock Me Baby" star launched her new 21-Day Fitness Challenge, which offered benefits beyond just physical fitness. Emphasizing "intentional wellness" it provides an enjoyable way to adopt a healthier lifestyle while gaining knowledge along the way. Speaking about the challenge's evergreen design, Brooke exclusively told The Blast:

"The challenge really is evergreen. Every summer, I like to create something new that's inspirational to keep everybody motivated, but what I really like about this is it's 21 days, three weeks to develop a new habit that I think will become a lifestyle that will be evergreen. And it'll be a great opportunity to up your wellness game all year long."

This program goes beyond physical fitness and encompasses various aspects of overall wellness. It includes 21 days of recipes, daily worksheets to acknowledge your progress and cultivate gratitude, as well as meditation practices.

"We're adding a lot of new things that we've never done before. Brooke Burke Body used to be really fitness-focused and then we moved into Brooke Burke Body and Soul, which was a little more of a mindful approach.

Now what I'm doing and focusing on is intentional wellness. We've just added meditation to the app, super excited about that," the Brooke Burke Body founder illuminated.