Cheryl Burke quits 'Dancing With the Stars', wants judge's seat vacated

TMZ.com

Cheryl Burke hangs up her boogie shoes on "Dancing With the Stars" -- and while she'd love a seat at the judge's table...it doesn't look like that's going to happen, at least for now.

The longtime professional dancer and staple of 'DWTS' - who was a recurring contestant for 26 seasons and won twice - announced on Sunday that she will no longer be performing on the reality show, saying that it was time to retire and set off for new horizons.

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In a lengthy IG post, Cheryl explained that Monday night's finale episode would be her final dance performance on "Dancing," and added a heartfelt thank you to the production as a whole.

She writes, "This show has been my second family since I was 21. The cast, crew, and fans have seen me through my highest highs and some of my lows, and honestly, I don't know who I would be today without them. I also know that it's time for me to start the next phase of my career, although dancing will always be a part of me."

CB adds, "I'm excited to grow, to be challenged in new ways, to have the opportunity to expand my commitment to mental health advocacy, to focus on my newfound love for podcasting, and I'm ready to face the uncertainty (even if it's scary as hell) of what the future holds - I do have a few things up my sleeves though, so don't don't worry."

The official "DWTS" Twitter page wished her luck amid the news, calling her an icon. That's fine, but Cheryl has been brutally honest about why she's quitting follow-up interviews.

Cheryl told Variety that she actually wanted the empty judge...