Cheryl Burke News

As Dancing with the Stars shakes and moves into the final few weeks, Cheryl Burke stands a good chance at earning yet another crystal trophy.

The professional spoke to TV Guide this week about the competitive season, along with the possibility of viewers seeing partner Gilles Marini shirtless again...

On the competition: I think this season's tough because there's no clear front-runner. It's exciting because it can be anyone's game and we're all putting in a lot of work. At the end, I think it'll really be a true victory for any of these celebrities. He and I work a lot of hours during the day, so we're trying our hardest to come out there and do the best we can.

On Marini stripping down again: I think we're going to cool it for a little bit. If we make it to the finale, then maybe we'll do it one more time. But I think it's working so far!

Cheryl Burke has already won Dancing with the Stars twice.

Her and partner Gilles Marini stand atop the leaderboard after the premiere of season eight.

Still, the professional isn't satisfied. She's offering fans that vote for her and the French actor an incentive.

“Every week we advance, he will lose one piece of clothing,” Burke told People. “He’s the naked guy from the Sex and the City movie, and people know he has a great body. So he can pull it off.”

How does Marini feel about this?

“I will do whatever it takes,” he said. “Cheryl is the boss.”

Pssst, Chuck Wicks: if you make the same deal for Julianne Hough, we'll make sure you win!

Recently, Cheryl Burke of Dancing with the Stars fame has been accused of being overweight by several people - co-star Maksim Chmerkovskiy among them.

Lacey Schwimmer was hit with similar criticism - even though these women are like Size 4s. But is even that too much for Dancing with the Stars brilliance?

What do you think? Is Cheryl Burke too big?

Is Cheryl Burke too fat for Dancing with the Stars?

Cheryl Burke isn't a fan of the message being sent to youngsters about their bodies.

“I want kids or women out there to realize you don’t have to be anorexic to be beautiful,” the two-time Dancing with the Stars champion told People Magazine this week. “There’s a lot of pressure living this Hollywood life. People expect to see you at a certain weight and when you gain a few pounds then all of a sudden it’s the talk of the week.”

The most important message Burke wants to send to fans? Be true to themselves.

“People will always have an opinion about you, whether it’s good or it’s bad,” Burke said. “But most important is to have a secure feeling about yourself and know that you’re beautiful regardless of what people think of you.”

It's all but confirmed at this point that Lance Bass will appear on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.

While we think it's unfair for a former member of a boy band to participate on the series - he used to dance for a living! - another controversy has sprung up around Bass.

Will Dancing with the Stars pair the openly gay singer with another male?

Cheryl Burke doesn't think so. She predicts we won't be seeing same-sex footwork anytime soon.

"I don't think that would happen," Burke told E! earlier this summer "I don't think America is ready to watch two men dancing."

However, General Hospital star and first season Dancing with the Stars winner Kelly Monaco would like to see Bass paired with a male.

"If you want to shock the world and give them something new, I think it's fantastic," Monaco said. "I support it 100 percent!"

The reality TV rumor mill is, again, in full swing.

Earlier today, we published a report about Jennifer Hudson dating former I Love New York contestant, Punk.

Now, we can't help but wonder if Dancing with the Stars professional and soap opera hunk Antonio Sabato Jr. are an item. They were recently spotted out together:

Antonio Sabato Jr. stars on General Hospital: Night Shift. We wonder if he's taking Cheryl Burke home for a night shift of her own... if you know what we mean!

Two of our favorite reality TV ladies, The Bachelorette star DeAnna Pappas and the Dancing With the Stars stunner Cheryl Burke, have both been spotted lately wearing red bikinis. Tell us who you think looks better on the beach in red ...

Poor Graham Bunn. The Bachelorette contestant missed out on seeing DeAnna Pappas wearing this (and potentially less) for life. Meanwhile, a toned Cheryl Burke is ready to turn heads on the next season of Dancing With the Stars!

When Cheryl Burke isn't Dancing with the Stars, she's cooling off on the beach.

And looking hot while doing so!

Here's a recent shot of the dancing professional taking advantage of a summer vacation:

In between seasons of Dancing with the Stars, Cheryl Burke is taking a break. A long, well-deserved break.

"I'm flying back and forth to San Francisco a lot," she said when asked about hiatus plans, "and also trying to take a vacation. I haven't taken a vacation in three years, because normally we go on tour [in the summer]. I have the time, and the sun, to just chill and relax and spend time in my dance studio."

Why is Burke spending time in Northern California? Because her dance studio opened there on April 4 and it's already seeing a big turn out.

"It's going great," she told TV Guide. "We just had 250 little kids come by wanting to learn how to dance so we're really excited."

We already know - for the most part - that Dancing with the Stars partners Derek Hough and Shannon Elizabeth are dating.

Now, Cheryl Burke is acting especially coy about rumors that link her with Nim's Island star Gerard Butler.

"You know, honestly he's good friends with [partner] Cristian de la Fuente and his wife â€" and we met through them," Burke at least admitted to Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show today. "He actually lives in my apartment building, and we've been friends for a few months."

But, Cheryl, what about that rumored kiss â€" during a party at Eva Longoria Parker's restaurant Beso in Los Angeles â€" between you and Butler?

"You know, everyone says hello and says goodbye and kisses each other," Burke told Seacrest. "Don't you, Ryan?"

Sounds like an admission to us!