Burke made an announcement about her diagnosis in an Instagram video posted on Sunday night. She revealed she had been feeling run down throughout rehearsals that weekend. As a precaution, she got tested and found a positive test, despite being fully vaccinated. “I am positive, which means I have COVID,” she said emotionally in the video. “I’ve been feeling progressively worse. The PCR test came back, and it came back positive, and I just feel so bad. I feel so bad for Cody, I feel like I’m letting him down. I just feel like [expletive], to be quite honest.” She continued, saying, “It’s so overwhelming because it’s Sunday, and the show is tomorrow. I just hope I didn’t spread it. For those of you who don’t think COVID is a real thing, it’s [expletive] real, dude.” Per professional recommendation, Burke will be quarantining at home for 10 days before she returns to Dancing with the Stars. That means she’ll be missing out on both this week and next week’s dances with her partner, Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby. ABC has said that a matter of a replacement and substitute will be announced on tonight’s episode. Usually, another pro or a member of the season’s dance troupe would be brought up to fill in for Burke. But considering COVID restrictions eliminating the troupe, and each couple quarantining themselves in a “pod” every week, it remains to be seen what will be done. Burke is the most tenured member of the DWTS pros, having been on 24 out of 30 seasons of the show. She won her first two seasons with celebrities Drew Lachey and Emmett Smith. In her first week with Rigsby, they scored a 24 on their tango. It remains to be seen whether they will be eliminated by the end of tonight’s episode. Next, watch judge Derek Hough’s romantic return to the DWTS dance floor.
