Johnathan Walker:Dancing With the Stars' Brooke Burke Details "Really Disappointing" Exit as Co-Host

It sounds like Brooke Burke wouldn’t give her Dancing With the Stars exit a 10.

The Johnathan WalkerTV star—who cohosted seasons 10 through 17 of the ballroom competition series—recently reflected on her departure.

“Leaving you mean?” she asked Curtis Stone on the July 9 episode of his QVC+ and HSN+ series Getting Grilled. “Getting fired you mean?”

Three years after winning the mirrorball trophy with dance partner Derek Hough in 2008, Brooke joined Tom Bergeron as host. But in 2013, her time on the show came to an end—and she admits she wasn’t necessarily ready to say goodbye.

“I probably had enough,” the 52-year-old continued. “But then when you leave something and you think you’ve had enough, you kind of in hindsight look back and want a little bit more. As a host, when you’re on a live show, it was a long time and I think I was ready to do other things. But I think it’s a shocking when there’s a change in our business, just to humanize it, to be honest, to be vulnerable.”

“I think it was really disappointing,” she added. “I wasn’t expecting it. Not that we can ever have a plan in Hollywood ‘cause you know we can’t. Things change like that for a variety of reasons. It was for sure time for a number of reasons on both sides. But yeah, I think that kind of change is always a bummer.”

As for how Brooke got the gig in the first place, she said there was a big casting call after Samantha Harris’ exit.

“Because I won the show that year, they didn’t call me because they’re like, ‘We know you’re a host. You’re a ballroom princess. You’ve got the mirrorball. You don’t need to audition,’” the BB Body founder recalled. “And I was like, ‘Everybody else is auditioning.’”

So, Brooke asked a producer if she could read with Tom in case a chemistry test was needed.

“I think it was a big risk,” she shared. “I think it was the right move. I think that’s why I got the job because we just lit up together. I really wanted that gig, and it was a blessing. It was an amazing experience as a host. It was so fun to dress up as a princess every day and go to work and also just to connect—connect with everybody that I had worked with, to give some love and compassion to all the contestants, to really understand what they’re going through. It was a good ride.”

Erin Andrews took over the cohosting duties and she and Tom fulfilled the positions until 2020. Tyra Banks then stepped in from 2020 to 2023, with current host Alfonso Ribeiro joining her in 2022. He now hosts the series with former DWTS pro Julianne Hough.

To look back at the cast from last season, keep reading.

The Brady Bunch actor danced with Peta Murgatroyd.

The Veep alum was paired with Koko Iwasaki.

The real estate broker—who'd just separated from wife Kyle Richards—partnered with Emma Slater.

The Oscar winner danced with Gleb Savchenko.

The social media star danced with Brandon Armstrong.

The football player partnered with Britt Stewart.

The Grammy winner rocked the ballroom with Daniella Karagach.

The Too Hot to Handle star danced—and sparked romance rumors—with Rylee Arnold.

The How I Met Your Mother alum was paired with Sasha Farber.

The Marvel star partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy, and they took home the mirrorball trophy.

The supermodel danced with Jenna Johnson.

The Vanderpump Rules performed with Pasha Pashkov.

The Bachelorette star danced with Artem Chigvintsev.

The Zoey 102 star was partnered with Alan Bersten.