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cheryl burke in costume on dwts© ABC via Getty Images

DWTS pro Cheryl Burke 'looks like a different person' after weight loss transformation

The DWTS alum looked unrecognizable

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
May 16, 2025
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Cheryl Burke has undergone a significant change to her appearance in the years since leaving Dancing with the Stars.

The former pro, 41, had fans doing a double-take when she shared a new video on Instagram on Thursday, displaying a much leaner physique after appearing to have dropped a significant amount of weight.

Cheryl took part in the new social media trend of performing the "Samba Whisk" and looked incredibly toned in workout leggings and a crop top.

With her longer hair and more defined facial features, many of her followers were convinced it wasn't Cheryl in the clip, claiming she looked unrecognizable.

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"Looks like a different person. Miss you on DWTS…love your dancing!" one commented. A second said: "That is not Cheryl Burke. I don't know who this person is. Why is she using Cheryl's name."

A third added: "Wow, I hardly recognize you." A fourth said: "No way she's the same person."

cheryl burke on dwts© ABC via Getty Images
Cheryl's physique has changed dramatically since her time on DWTS

Mental health

Cheryl's latest video comes after she opened up about her mental health in a 'get ready with me' on Instagram.

Applying her makeup in front of the camera, Cheryl said: "Silence protects shame. I used to believe that it meant that I was strong. But in all transparency, bottling it up made me feel even more isolated."

cheryl burke talking on stage© Getty Images for Vulture
Cheryl's facial features are more defined now than they were in 2021

She continued: "The mask we wear, you know, the strong one, it's exhausting. There's so much strength in saying, 'You know what? I'm not okay and that's okay'.

"I used to think that healing meant becoming a perfect version of myself … always keeping it together. But what I realized is that's not healing, that's performance. Healing isn't linear. It's honestly more like a rollercoaster. Like a spiral.

"Some days I feel grounded, and some days I question almost everything. But you know what? That's okay. That is growth. There's no such thing as failing at healing.

cheryl burke with long hair in denim jumpsuit© Instagram
Cheryl looks more sculpted in 2025

"I'm trying to unlearn the idea that productivity equals worth, and I need to earn rest. That basically being vulnerable and emotional is a liability. I have spent my whole life basically tying my value to how much I can do."

Cheryl added: "My new definition of strength, which I'm not there yet. It's softness, it's honesty, it's setting boundaries, and it's saying no. And sometimes it's just waking up, brushing my teeth, and just being enough.

"Healing is messy. It's definitely not candles and bubble baths. It's doing the hard thing even when it's terrifying. Healing to me is choosing to not numb, even when escape just feels so much easier.

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"I'm obviously not a therapist, but I have been in therapy most of my life, and what has helped for me is journaling what I feel, not what I think I should feel. Reaching out to a friend or a therapist when I'm now instead of ghosting everyone."

She concluded: "Mental wellness isn't about being happy all the time. It's about creating a life that you feel safe in and creating that life even though there will be bumps along the way and even when it's hard."

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