NEWSCheryl Burke Looks Unrecognizable on 'DWTS' as Fans Accuse Her of Getting a 'New Face' Despite Denying Plastic Surgery Rumors
Cheryl Burke looked unrecognizable on DWTS as fans accused her of getting a 'new face.'
Oct. 29 2025, Published 9:15 a.m. ET
Cheryl Burke made headlines after returning to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom as a judge.
She joined the panel for the Halloween Night episode on ABC, stepping into a new role alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.
Fans were thrilled to see her back, but many couldn’t help but point out how different she looks now compared to her debut back in 2006.
“I will never get over this person saying she’s Cheryl Burke. Ain’t no way 😳 #DWTS,” one viewer wrote on X.
Cheryl Burke returned to 'Dancing With the Stars' as a guest judge.
Another critic joined in, saying, “Sitting here reading the #DWTS tweets and not one person is commenting on Cheryl Burke’s new face? And how she looks completely unlike herself? Someone had to say it I’m sorry.”
A third viewer added, “Cheryl Burke’s face is completely different. She says she’s not on Ozempic & has not had plastic surgery. But it looks like buccal fat removal, new hair, botox, & different eye makeup?”
One person asked, “Why does Cheryl Burke look so scary? What happened to her face? She’s perfect for Halloween night cause she’s scary.”
Back in August, Burke made it clear she’s reached her limit after dealing with nonstop body shaming — especially during the 17 seasons she spent competing on the show.
“I am done being judged,” the San Francisco native told Us Weekly.
“It’s a tired subject, and it’s not just talking and commenting,” she said. “People are making full-on TikTok videos that they’re editing together, scripting, using graphics, arrows, to point out my face, about the scars that they supposedly see.”
People quickly commented on Cheryl Burke's appearance.
She admitted she looks different now, but insisted it’s a natural evolution.
“Think about the mask I was wearing on the show, from head to toe. My skin color was 20 shades darker,” Burke explained, adding that she is half Filipino. “That was just what I knew; that’s the competitive ballroom world. I’m learning and realizing who I am underneath all of the makeup, without the tanning beds, the spray tans, all of the extra stuff that I now call a mask.”
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
These days, she’s focused on a healthier perspective about her appearance and self-worth.
“I can’t control what other people are saying about me. I’ve been trying to have compassion for the transition I’ve been going through, this big transformation, heading into the next chapter of my life. Maybe it’s a shock to some people when they see my actual skin color, and no, I’m not bleaching my skin,” she explained.
Critics accused Cheryl Burke of getting plastic surgery.
She also followed up with a frank Instagram message, stating, “Let’s clear this up for the 1,000th time.”
“Botox? Yes. Surgery? No. Fillers? No. Scars? Nonexistent. Skin bleaching? Nope,” she wrote.
“My skin tone shift is just what happens when you swap tanning beds for SPF and let your natural half-Pinay, half-white self come through,” she explained. “You can age gracefully and still enjoy a little Botox. Stop confusing it with plastic surgery.”
Cheryl Burke said she has only gotten Botox.
Even with all the chatter around her looks, Burke is happy about her DWTS gig.
“I’m nervous that I won’t be able to get to my point of view because of the time constraint,” she told TheWrap. “I’m only going to talk in sound bites from now until Tuesday.”
“I’m just grateful that they even asked for me to come back to the ballroom,” she said. “But also the added bonus, obviously, is to be a guest judge, and to be able to return in a new role, where hopefully I can empower the other couples.”
