For four seasons Dancing with the Stars fans have seen Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli sitting together on the judging panel, critiquing the celebrity hopefuls and their professional partners.
But if the show executives ever decide to shake things up, Cheryl Burke knows exactly which ballroom dancers deserve to be getting a call – and yes, Cheryl is on that list.
© Adam Taylor"I've always expressed that I would love to be there but it is what it is," she tells HELLO!
"The judges that they do have are great – and there's so many people that could be sitting there. I know Louis van Amstel has been wanting to judge for a long time and I think he definitely has the credentials to be a part of it. As do I, as does Mark Ballas, as does Maksim Chmerkovskiy."
Louis, 51, was one of the original dancers, partnered with Trista Sutter in season one. In season two he danced with Lisa Rinna, with whom he reached fourth place, and High School Musical star Monique Coleman in season three.
He was a performer and choreographer in season four and five before being paired with Priscilla Presley for season six. He returned in season nine and was partnered with reality TV star Kelly Osbourne, and they made it to the final; it was his first and only time in the finals.
He also appeared in season 10, season 11, season 12, season 15, season 21 and season 31.
© J. StraussMark – the son of Shirley Ballas, the famed British ballroom dancer and head judge of the UK's Strictly Come Dancing – appeared between season five and season 22, along with season 25 and season 31; he has won the show three times.
Maksim, known as Maks, appeared in seasons two to five, seven to 15, season 18 for which he won and seasons 23, 24 and 25.
His wife, Peta Murgatroyd, is still a professional dancer of the series, and was eliminated in week eight on season 32 with her celebrity partner Barry Williams.
© Gabe GinsbergMaks, Louis and Mark all returned in week three for the emotional Len Goodman tribute, which was choreographed by pro dancers Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy. But Cheryl – who participated in 26 seasons and was the first female professional to win the show twice – revealed that she was not asked to return for the momentous occasion.
"For those of you asking if I’ll be a part of Len Goodman’s tribute next week on DWTS, unfortunately, I wasn’t invited; however, I’ll be there in spirit and can’t wait to cheer my former colleagues on! Sending love and light to everyone," she wrote on Threads.
Returning for the special occasion was Maksim, Kym Johnson-Herjavec, Tony Dovolani, Anna Trebunskaya, Edyta Śliwińska, Karina Smirnoff, Louis and Mark.
The dance number was a testament to Len’s enduring love for ballroom dancing, and was set to the timeless classic, Henry Mancini’s 'Moon River,' a favorite of the British dancer and dance judge.
As the dance reached its climax, Len's own voice echoed with a profound message across the dancefloor: "All good things must come to an end."
The emotional impact was palpable, with judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli visibly moved to tears.
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