News | Entertainment
16 Feb 2026 4:53
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Cheryl Burke suffered a painful head injury during rehearsals for 'Dancing with the Stars' on Sunday (25.10.20)

    The 36-year-old dancer - who is partnered with Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean on the show - lost her footing during a rehearsal and smacked her head against the ballroom floor


    AJ explained: "Cheryl and I were practising during stage rehearsal and it did not go well. It happened so fast, I just heard her head hit the floor."

    In a video clip of the incident, Cheryl could be seen falling backwards and slamming her head against the ground.

    AJ, 42, immediately recognised the potential seriousness of the situation and asked his dance partner if she's okay.

    A medic was called to the scene but Cheryl was ultimately given the go-ahead to perform on Monday night's (26.10.20) show.

    Tyra Banks, the host of 'Dancing with the Stars', provided an update on Cheryl's health during the broadcast.

    She said: "Cheryl is okay and she is cleared to perform."

    Despite the drama, Cheryl and AJ went on to perform admirably, scoring 26 out of 30 for their tango routine.

    Speaking afterwards about Cheryl's fall, AJ said: "I was there with her every second, like, 'Oh my god! Are you okay? Are you okay?' She's family now. I've got to protect her like she does for me."

    Elsewhere, Nev Schulman and Jenna Johnson scored the first perfect score of the season with their paso doble.

    Johnny Weir and Britt Stewart also impressed the judging panel, earning a score of 27 out of 30, while Chrishell Stause and Gleb Savchenko were given 26 points for their paso doble on a Halloween-themed night.

    However, cheerleading coach Monica Aldama and her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy were eliminated from the show after scoring just 22 points and then being sent home by the judges, who opted to save Jeannie Mai instead.

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     15 Feb: Heather McComb will remember James Van Der Beek as being "innocent, kind and pure of heart"
     15 Feb: Margaret Qualley felt "overwhelmed" when she began her acting career
     15 Feb: Bunnie Xo has been wowed by Jelly Roll's 300-lb. weight loss
     15 Feb: Jesy Nelson no longer has "time" to make music
     15 Feb: Lena Dunham replaced her friends with a "posse" of cats after moving to London
     15 Feb: Camila Cabello has revealed "it's taken a year" for her hair to recover after she dyed it blonde
     15 Feb: Kylie Jenner has applauded her sister Kim Kardashian for "nailing" the new SKIMS cotton collection
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Middle distance runner Sam Ruthe has been unable to replicate his stunning mile earlier this month at another indoor event in North Carolina More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    BNZ bank is offering support to those affected by severe weather More...



     Today's News

    Rugby:
    Middle distance runner Sam Ruthe has been unable to replicate his stunning mile earlier this month at another indoor event in North Carolina 21:57

    Environment:
    NEMA is warning people in large swathes of the North Island to prepare for bad weather overnight 21:17

    International:
    Frog toxins used to poison Alexei Navalny the latest in long history of Russian chemical attacks 21:07

    Environment:
    Residents due to be hit by heavy rain and severe gales are being warned to act now 18:57

    Soccer:
    The Wellington Phoenix women's side have missed an opportunity to return to the top of the A-League ladder, with a 2-1 home loss to Central Coast 18:37

    Politics:
    Opposition draws battlelines on nuclear and capital gains tax changes 18:17

    Law and Order:
    Police say a post-mortem will be carried out in the coming days after a body washed up at Mahia, near Wairoa 18:07

    Rugby League:
    The Indigenous Women have come from 14-nil down to beat the Maori Women 20-14 in their pre-season All-Stars rugby league match in Hamilton 18:07

    Soccer:
    The Wellington Phoenix trail the Central Coast Mariners 2-1 at halftime of their women's A-League match in Porirua 17:27

    Cricket:
    Black Caps pace bowler Lockie Ferguson has departed the T20 World Cup camp on paternity leave 16:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd