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18 Feb 2026 3:09
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  •   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

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