Dancing With the Star’s fan-favorite Cheryl Burke has been on the dance competition show since 2006 — she even took home the coveted Mirrorball during her first season on the show. Naturally, 15 years after she first hit the ballroom, the professional dancer’s looks have changed.
Followers of the ABC show still speculate that Cheryl, 37, may have received plastic surgery through the years. The ballroom dancer first received negative comments when she had shared photos of herself on vacation in 2014. Followers were quick to comment that the dancer was too thin after she had lost 25 pounds through exercise and a healthier diet. They also claimed she had “fake lips and plastic surgery,” Cheryl told ABC News at the time.
She has since deleted the post, but other photos on her Facebook page from that time still have a number of similar comments.
When compared to older photographs, from when the now 37-year-old was 22, the pro-dancer does look dramatically different; her cheekbones are more defined, her eyebrows are more arched and her nose and chin look slimmer. However, she has vehemently denied claims that she went under the knife.
“I didn’t have plastic surgery, and I don’t have an eating disorder. I’m just actually happy,” she told TMZ in 2014.
There are a number of possible reasons why Cheryl’s appearance looks different from when she was first introduced on the dancing competition show. Losing weight and aging will naturally make your face slim out and cheeks are one of the first areas to change as a person grows older, making their bone structure more defined. Plus, makeup has changed drastically from 2006 — both stars and everyday people have learned to style their eyebrows differently and to contour, giving them the appearance of a thinner nose or chin.
Cheryl has also been sober for three years following her father’s death, who struggled with alcoholism. When a person cuts alcohol from their diet, their face and bodies can sometimes see significant changes. Swelling in their face will go down and their skin will have a more even tone and will be more hydrated, giving them a youthful appearance.
It seems Cheryl’s new look may be the cause of a healthier lifestyle and a different style of hair and makeup.