Professional dancer on Dancing With The Stars Cheryl Burke admitted she felt "a lot of shame" when she learned she was diagnosed with COVID-19. The dancer is currently matched with beloved Peloton instructor, Cody Rigsby. For their debut performance on the hit ABC show, the duo performed a tango to "Physical" by Dua Lipa. The fan-favorite pair received a total of 24 out of 40, which was right in the middle of the star-studded leaderboard. Since it was only week 1, the elimination was pushed back to the following Monday after each couple had an opportunity to showcase one more performance to the judges and viewers. Each couple's combined score and viewers' votes dictated who was in the bottom two, with the DWTS judges ultimately choosing which celebrity to save.
However, Cheryl and Cody faced a setback when the dancing pro tested positive for a COVID-19 breakthrough case only one day before the live taping. Since Cody was in close proximity to his partner throughout the week, he was unable to step foot into the ballroom, leaving viewers confused about the pair's future in the competition. After producers looked into the show's rules, they decided Cody's skills would be judged on his rehearsal footage, allowing him to escape elimination. Moving forward, Cody will work with another pro while Cheryl coaches via FaceTime until she's cleared to return to set. Cody hopes that since she is only feeling a bit stuffy, Cheryl will be back in the ballroom by Monday.
In a new virtual interview, Cheryl told E! News she had a rollercoaster of emotions when she first found out she was positive for COVID-19. "There was a lot of shame behind it for some reason, disappointed, sad, just hopeless, because you can't really control the situation," she said. Though Cheryl still doesn't really know how she contracted the virus, she's assuming she probably got it while traveling back and forth from Los Angeles to New York. The professional dancer explained that Cody has to fly to New York every week to shoot his Peloton classes, so she has been traveling with him in order to get more rehearsal time in.
At the end of the day, Cheryl is "thankful" that she's fully vaccinated, as she believes that's a major reason she feels "oddly normal." But just because she can't physically be in the room, doesn't mean she's letting Cody take a break. Cheryl is committed to virtually coaching the celebrity gym coach and being the ultimate dance mom. "He's so talented, I'm having the best time. We honestly are like best friends already, and I would hate for it just to end, so I'm hoping that I'll be cleared very soon and maybe just go back to the way it was. I don't know, we're taking it day by day," Cheryl said.
While it's disappointing news, the professional dancer admitted she did her best to not get the virus by wearing her mask and washing her hands in addition to getting the vaccine. Ultimately her fate was out of her hands and all they can do is move forward. Cody is extremely talented and has already showcased a lot of potential. Additionally, it's Britney Spears week at Dancing With The Stars on Monday, which is the theme Cody was most looking forward to.
Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: E! News