Cheryl Burke Admits Her Dates Since Divorce Aren't 'Anything to Brag About' (Exclusive)

The 'Sex, Lies, & Spray Tans' podcast host tells PEOPLE she's open to a new connection but is "not actively looking" for a partner in the wake of her split from ex Matthew Lawrence

Dancing with the Stars alum Cheryl Burke has had many well-suited partners in the ballroom, but finding her leading man off the dance floor is proving challenging.

The Sex, Lies, & Spray Tans podcast host exclusively tells PEOPLE that even though she's "not actively looking" for love, she is racking up a few bad date stories.

"I'm not like, hey, closet number one. Obviously, no one will be in this house, but I'm also not on a dating app," shares Burke, 39. "Look, I'm not actively looking. I've been on dates, absolutely, but is it anything to brag about? No. I'm not also in a serious relationship."

Related: Cheryl Burke Wants to Avoid 'Stagnant' Dynamic in Next Relationship: 'I'm Not About to Live That Again'

Since ending her three-year marriage to Matthew Lawrence, 43, plans "to be less eager to announce exactly what's happening in my personal life."

She explains, "For example, I don't want anyone to know where I moved to. There's a sense of privacy because I am an open book — I'm an open book to where I can help people. Now, knowing where I am geographically, it ain't going to help anyone."

Burke says she hopes her future partner can see past all the glitter and glamour of her career.

"My identity is not also defined by the outside world. And whether or not I'm on TV is not defined by that. It has everything to do with getting to know you without all of that prep," she says. "If you were to define yourself by the outside world, you would be a miserable person."

Related: Cheryl Burke on 'Starting Over' as an Adult 'Trauma Survivor' Who's Divorced, Sober and Retired

Though navigating this "has been tough" and she's "still working on it," Burke says she will "be doing this forever" as she finds it from "inside out."

"If you have been defining yourself by your outside sources like I have, absolutely I have. I was defined by [being] a dancer. I was defined by literally what place did I get on this last season of Dancing with the Stars: Did I win? [If I did] OK then, maybe I would be a little bit more confident than I was if I was the third person eliminated. That's not stable. That doesn't make me feel safe, and it never did. So I think that that is very important when I find a partner."

Burke adds, "That person needs to also have done the same type of work or at least know that they're always a work in progress, because I just don't believe you ever stop working on your mental health. You evolve and if you say that, 'I'm good,' or 'I'm going to therapy for you,' and taking accountability is so important for me."

Now Burke is placing her focus on hosting Sex, Lies, & Spray Tans, which debuted Monday on iHeartRadio.

The pod will offer a behind-the-scenes look at all the drama, flings and more from her 25 seasons on DWTS. Many of Burke's former on-screen partners, costars, friends and frenemies will join her on the podcast.

"This is my third podcast. I've been fortunate enough to do it with iHeart Media, and it's been an interesting conversation," she explains. "When we first talked about doing a podcast like this, because, there's a fine line of, I obviously don't want to upset anybody, obviously, on the show, but this has nothing to do with any type of negativity. If anything, this is honoring the show for half my life I've been on."

Because of her 16 years and 20-plus seasons on the show, Burke adds, "I feel like I owe it to the fans to really take them back behind the scenes of my journey so far."

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New episodes of Burke's iHeartRadio podcast Sex, Lies, & Spray Tans drop weekly on major podcast platforms.

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