Cheryl Burke suffered a scary head injury during rehearsals for Dancing with the Stars’ Villains Night. Burke was rehearsing with her celebrity partner, Backstreet Boy AJ McLean, when she fell back and hit her head. According to Cheryl Burke herself, the upsetting moment could have been much worse, and she would know. She has encountered injuries in the past.
The terrifying moment was captured by Dancing with the Stars’ cameras. Cheryl Burke was somehow able to still perform on Villains Night with AJ McLean after sustaining the head injury. Burke explained that the authentic spring-loaded dance floor proved to be her saving grace. Following the frightening incident and the night’s performances, Burke opened up further, telling ET:
Thank God for the ballroom floor, that it’s a real ballroom floor with springs underneath it. Because my head was like a basketball. First it was my right buttcheck that landed. Thank God I have a little cushion back there. Then I was trying to stop my neck. Basically, if I would just have released my neck it would have been no bueno.
Cheryl Burke acknowledged that the dance floor’s special underside sort of broke her fall. She still fell, though, joining the many Dancing with the Stars participants to have sustained an injury during the season. During the previous season of the ballroom competition, Burke’s celebrity partner – NFL Hall Famer Ray Lewis – was injured doing the show. Lewis had to exit the competition. Will Burke follow suit this season?
Cheryl Burke has answered that question as Dancing with the Stars heads into its next week of competition. No one could blame Burke for taking a week off to rest her head and neck. That said, the pro dancer shared her plans, and it sounds like she is highly motivated to continue. She and AJ McLean are coming off of a 26 out of 30 for their Psycho-inspired tango. As for performing next week, Burke said:
I am not not dancing. Next week is such a special week for AJ I don’t think I can ever let him down by not dancing.
It sounds like Dancing with the Stars did a great job matching AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke as dance partners. Burke is enjoying having McLean as a partner as opposed to past matches that were not so great. I am curious to learn what will be “special” about next week for McLean. There will be a double elimination, so it is super essential for them in that way.
I am just glad that Cheryl Burke is okay, although she did admit in the interview that she is starting to feel the head injury. Burke is soldiering through to compete. I just hope Burke is not pushing it. That fall was nasty.
Keep watching to see if Cheryl Burke and AJ McLean survive next week’s double elimination when the next new episode of Dancing with the Stars airs. Season 29 continues next Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. While you wait for it, check out what other shows are set to dance their way onto this fall’s schedule.
