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Cheryl Burke<\/a> made her surprise return to Dancing With the Stars<\/em><\/a> on Tuesday (October 28), three years after saying farewell to the hit ABC competition series<\/a>.<\/p>\n The two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner joined Derek Hough<\/a>, Carrie Ann Inaba<\/a>, and Bruno Tonioli<\/a> as a guest judge for Halloween Night<\/a>, offering her thoughts and expertise on this season\u2019s celebrity contestants. Her return was unexpected, given the controversy over her exit back in 2022.<\/p>\n In a 2024 episode of her Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans<\/em><\/a> podcast, Burke revealed the real reason she left the show: she wanted a promotion and felt she would never get it. She also claimed she had to \u201cfight\u201d to be given a farewell dance despite being a cast member since the second season.<\/p>\n Ahead of her return, Burke explained her reasons for coming back. \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be emotional, but I am here in a different way this time. I\u2019m here for the couples, and I really hope to be able to give constructive criticism, but also be encouraging,\u201d she told People<\/em><\/a>. \u201cAnd I know what it takes. I have been there.\u201d<\/p>\n So, how did Burke do as a judge? Fans took to social media to share their reactions, and it\u2019s safe to say, the opinions were mixed!<\/p>\n \u201cI loved [Burke] personally\u2026 would love her as a 4th judge! She also wasn\u2019t afraid to score lower than the rest of the judges,\u201d wrote one Reddit user.<\/a><\/p>\n Another added, \u201cI liked her overall. I could tell she was trying to be tame for the audience, but I thought her critiques were fair and valid.\u201d<\/p>\n