Danica McKellar CallsDancing with the Starsa 'Reality Show' When Cheryl Burke Asks If She Believes It's 'Rigged'

Mar. 15, 2025

Danica McKellar attends the “Unsung Hero” Nashville World Premiere at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.Photo:Jason Kempin/Gett

Jason Kempin/Gett

Danica McKellarhad the perfect response whenCheryl Burkehit her with some rapid-fire questions about her experiences onDancing with the Stars.

McKellar, 49, competed on season 18 of the show withVal Chmerkovskiyin 2014, and during a Nov. 18 appearance on Burke’s podcast,Sex, Lies and Spray Tans, she revealed what she thinks about the dance competition show when she looks back.

When Burke, 40, asked if McKellar thinks the show is “rigged,” theWonder Yearsstar replied, “I think it’s a reality show, not a dance competition show.”

“Smart answer,” Burke responded.

Another rapid-fire question McKellar answered was about who she thinks is more likely to “fall in love first, the celebrity or the pro dancer,” as Burke said, “It does happen. People fall in lust, not love.”

“Probably a celebrity will fall in love with the pro,” she replied, as she said that at least feels like the case “if the woman is the celebrity because you feel taken care of.”

Danica McKellar and Val Chmerkovskiy on ‘Dancing With the Stars’.Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

McKellar reflected more generally on her time on the show during the podcast episode, too, as she revealed that Val, 38, and his brotherMaks Chmerkovskiy, who was also competing that season with partner Meryl Davis, had an agreement of sorts.

“Both of them wanted [Maks] to win that season because he had never won before. And with Meryl Davis as his partner, that was fine. So, like, Val from day 1, he was like, ‘I want my brother to win this.’ I’m like, ‘It’s fine,'” she recalled.

Maks, 44, and Davis, 37, went on to win the mirror ball trophythat season, and it remains the only time Maks secured a win in his 25-season run on the show.

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Dancing with the Starsairs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+ and streams the next day on Hulu.

source: people.com