Brooke Burke openly discussed her temptation to engage in a romantic relationship with her dance partner, Derek Hough, during their time on “Dancing with the Stars.” Speaking on the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast with fellow “DWTS” alum Cheryl Burke, Brooke, who was married to David Charvet during her winning 2008 season, revealed her feelings towards the then-23-year-old Hough.
“If I hadn’t been married… I would have actually hoped we would have had a love affair,” she candidly admitted. Brooke went on to explain the profound connection that develops between dance partners, comparing it to the intimacy of a romantic relationship.
Brooke Burke and Derek Hough (Credits: Getty Images)
“When you’re a dancer, you are intimately connected with someone’s body. There is no way that I have ever been so connected—aside from a lover or a husband—than I was with Derek,” she remarked. The 52-year-old entrepreneur recollected their daily rehearsals and performances in close proximity for three months.
“For three months, you are in someone’s arms. Why do you think people fall in love?” Brooke questioned. “It can be more intimate than making love in a bedroom—you’re making love on a dance floor, you feel more connected. If you have energy, you’re doing this dance, and you’re in the rhythm, and then there’s trust, then you’re sharing fear, you’re doing something you’ve never done. How many times do you go through an experience with someone where they’re all you’ve got?”
Brooke confessed that this level of intimacy led her to develop a “crush” on Hough, even though their partnership initially faced challenges due to his tough and brutally honest coaching style.
