Will Cheryl Burke Replace Judge Len Goodman on Season 32 of 'Dancing with the Stars'?

Should Cheryl Burke or Maksim Chmerkovskiy replace Len Goodman on 'Dancing with the Stars Season 32.

It’s official! Monday night’s season 31 finale will be the last time that pro Cheryl Burke will step onto the Dancing with the Stars ballroom floor, but will it be the last time that viewers will see her, or is Cheryl trying to negotiate herself into the judge’s seat that will be left vacant by Len Goodman, who revealed last week that this is his final season?

As far back as 2018, Cheryl told Parade, “I was a competitor back in my day and Len Goodman used to judge me. I also got my judging license as well, so I've had to study all of this stuff. I don’t know if a lot of the other dancers have been doing that only because they're so much younger than I am.”

If Cheryl were to join the panel, it would be more equal with two women—her and Carrie Ann Inaba—and two men—Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. But there’s actually no reason for Dancing with the Stars to replace Len.

Related: The Real Reason Len Goodman Is Quitting Dancing with the Stars After Season 31

The majority of the years that the show has been on the air—with the exception of when Julianne Hough (2014-2017) joined as a judge—the series only had three judges. Derek was brought in when Len wasn’t able to travel due to COVID protocols back in 2020, but the producers at that time could also have seen it as a way of introducing viewers to a new—and very likeable judge—because they knew that Len had retirement in mind.

Another great possibility to replace Len, if that’s what the producers decide to do, would be Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who won season 18 with Meryl Davis for his sole Mirrorball Trophy, and who guest judged three times between 2013 and 2016.

“I would love to do that gig. That’s my thing,” Maks told MassLive.com. “That’s my medium [and] that’s what I know. I know exactly what I am looking at.”

As for Cheryl, she shared her reasons for leaving DWTS on her Instagram:

Related: How Dancing With the Stars Pro Cheryl Burke Manages Her 'Social Phobia'

“I am sitting here full of so many conflicting emotions about the words I am about to write…

Tomorrow night will officially be my final dance as a pro dancer on @dancingwiththestars. This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one.

This show has been my 2nd family since I was 21 years old. The cast, crew & fans have seen me through my highest highs & some of my lowest lows, & I honestly don’t know who I would be today without them. I also know that it is time for me to begin the next phase of my career, although dance will always be a part of me. I am excited about the idea of evolving, about being challenged in new ways, having the ability to expand my commitment to mental health advocacy, focusing on my new found love for podcasting, & I’m ready to face the uncertainty (though it’s scary as sh**) of what the future holds - I do have a few things up my sleeves though, so don’t worry 😉”

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Cheryl holds two Mirrorball Trophies. She won seasons 2 and 3 with celebrity partners Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith. She finished in 13th place this season with GMA weatherman Sam Champion.

Dancing with the Stars will stream its season 31 finale Monday night at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Disney+.

Next, Who Will Win Dancing with the Stars Season 31? After Watching Every Episode, Here Are Our Predictions