DWTS Pro Sharna Burgess Explains What Went Wrong With 500th Episode Plans

Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” pro Sharna Burgess was part of the show’s 500th episode. However, Burgess wasn’t the only former pro who was supposed to take part in the November 12, 2024, show.

During an interview on the “Lightweights” podcast, Burgess explained that the budget caused some changes to be made.

There were many familiar faces in the live audience, however, including Artem Chigvintsev, Anna Trebunskaya, and Maks Chmerkovskiy.

Many DWTS Fans Were Disappointed by the Show’s 500th Episode

Longtime DWTS fans were expecting some serious magic to take place on the show’s 500th episode. Unfortunately, many felt that the episode really missed the mark.

“The night kicks off with an electrifying opening number,” read a press release from the network, in part. “Plus, get ready for the dazzling return of some fan-favorite faces to the ballroom,” it continued.

Of course, many were super excited to see Burgess dancing in the ballroom again, but others weren’t impressed overall. After the show aired, fans took to Reddit to react and many expressed disappointment over the content of the episode.

Sharna Burgess Would Return to ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Burgess took a season off from DWTS to spend time at home with her son, Zane. She wasn’t asked to join the seasons that followed, but she hasn’t completely closed the door on a possible return.

“If they did ask me, I think I would love to have one more season there with everyone as a way to button it up. After 14 years on the show, it doesn’t feel like it was a beautiful way for it to end after so much love and so much memory,” she told E! News in an article published on October 9, 2024.

And, since Conrad Green is back as an executive producer, it seems Burgess would really consider an offer.

“The fact that he’s back makes it very, very, very tempting to come back and do another season,” she said on “Lightweights.”