Sharna Burgess is returning to Dancing With the Stars after a five-year hiatus, bringing a longtime pro back to the show after Season 30 in 2021 and a Season 32 absence. Her comeback follows a stretch shaped by cast cuts, a season away for motherhood, and a later non-return that left the franchise without one of its most familiar names.
Season 16 to Season 30
Burgess debuted on Dancing With the Stars in Season 16 in 2013 and went on to serve as a pro on 14 seasons. She reached third place with Noah Galloway in Season 20, then second with Nick Carter in Season 21, James Hinchcliffe in Season 23, and Josh Norman in Season 26, before winning her first Mirrorball trophy with Bobby Bones in Season 27.
Her run was not linear. She and Artem Chigvintsev were unexpectedly cut from the Season 28 cast after a new creative director was hired, then she returned for Seasons 29 and 30. In Season 30, she was partnered with Brian Austin Green, giving the show one more full season with a veteran pro who had already built a long record of high finishes.
Sharna Burgess on Season 31
Burgess said she took Season 31 off after the birth of her son in 2022 because “Zane was only eight weeks old,” and added, “It just felt like I needed to sit in motherhood with Zane.” She also said, “It was always, 'I want to come back next year,' and 'Of course, we love you, we'll always have you.'”
That timeline matters because it separates a family decision from a later booking decision. Burgess said she was not asked back for Season 32, which makes her return after five years more than a simple reinstatement; it restores a veteran with proven results to a show that had already moved through one absence tied to motherhood and another tied to casting.
Why Season 32 changed
Burgess said she was told, “We couldn't partner you up with anybody this season.” She also pushed back on money speculation, saying, “I was on par with people,” and, “Definitely not the most expensive, and certainly not by an amount that would break the show if they kept me.”
That leaves the practical reading of her exit: the issue was not a trophy count or a pay dispute, but whether the show had a workable pairing for her at the time. Her return now gives Dancing With the Stars a pro who has already delivered a win, multiple runner-up finishes, and a season of visibility that included a cameo during the 500th episode in 2024.
What comes after five years
The main question now is not whether Burgess can return, but how the show uses a pro with that track record after a five-year gap. She comes back with enough history to matter immediately, and with a record that includes Season 27’s win and four other podium finishes, which gives Dancing With the Stars a cleaner competitive case than a nostalgia booking.
