Brooke Burke famously hosted Dancing With the Stars from 2010 until her abrupt exit in 2014. But the 54-year-old model recently admitted to thinking about what was next in her career during her tenure on the show.
“There was a time on that show after seven seasons where I was like, ‘This is a live show and I really don’t have much freedom,'” the former co-host said on I Choose Me With Jennie Garth.
Burke won the Mirrorball Trophy with Derek Hough in Season 7 and later co-hosted Seasons 10 through 17. She replaced Samantha Harris and was later replaced by Erin Andrews.
As the end of her Dancing With the Stars co-hosting career was coming to an end, Burke said she found herself asking, “I wonder what else I’m going to do.” Despite loving the show and the fans, she admitted that toward her final season, she wasn’t showing her full gratitude.
“Part of me believes I was meant to move on and do something else,” she said. “When it happened, I really wanted to exit with grace and appreciation. It forced me to really look at, ‘What now?'”
Her exit in 2014 came as a total surprise to her and many fans. Burke described her departure as “shocking and really disappointing,” revealing that she found out she wouldn’t be returning only weeks before the next season’s premiere. She emphasized that in the entertainment world, change often happens fast and sometimes without much notice.
Still, it’s the entertainment world Burke was (and still is) passionate about.
“Being on live television is a better gig than being in a studio,” she told Jennie Garth, “It’s one of the greatest shows to host in television.”
Looking back, Burke says it remains a bittersweet chapter. She’s grateful for the friendships and experiences she built on DWTS, but she’s also embraced what came next and is at peace with closing that door.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
