On the Monday, October 23 edition of “Tamron Hall,” renowned TV host and author Brooke Burke sat down for a daytime exclusive interview to discuss the latest headlines surrounding her comments about “Dancing with the Stars” partner Derek Hough. In a recent interview on Cheryl Burke’s podcast, Brooke reflected on her victorious partnership with Hough in 2008 and stated “I would have had an affair with him,” sparking an abundance of chatter online. During today’s daytime exclusive interview, Brooke cleared up the controversial conversation and opened up to the TamFam about the fears she has as she approaches her third marriage to Scott Rigsby. See more inside and video clip…
Brooke Burke addresses the headlines that she would have had an affair with Derek Hough:
“Honestly, it kind of blew me away too because it was headline after headline after headline. So Cheryl Burke – girlfriend, like my sister – and when girls get to chatting, you know, it’s kind of like a tell all. And what I was talking about is the chemistry between pro and celebrity – when you’re on a show like that, you’re dancing, you’re breathing, you’re in each other’s arms. You’re learning the dance, the rhythm, the struggle, the challenge, the triumph, the fear that you share when you step on down to that floor. It’s an extremely intimate experience. Chemistry for sure. He’s adorable, he’s really like my little brother. Saying I would have had an affair – maybe I was just chatting – we didn’t, let me just set the record straight, and I was in a faithful marriage. But it’s like that dance where you’re just, you’re so close and you’re so connected and that intimacy, you can’t fake that.” She continued, “So it’s all of these human emotions, to me it was extremely sensual – sensual, not sexual.”
Brooke shares her fiancé’s reaction to the headlines:
“You know he’s so cool and we have such strong boundaries – and I had those in my other marriage – which is why I feel so free to be honest. It wasn’t that I wanted to [have an affair], or we could’ve, or we should’ve, it was the reality in an adult conversation of that beautiful chemistry that happens. And that’s why some people fall in love, but with Scott, I had to say, ‘Sorry baby, but you’re probably going to read about this a lot tomorrow,’ but he’s so fine.” Tamron asks if she regrets saying it, to which Brooke responds, “I don’t regret saying it because I’m comfortable communicating and I’m a grownup and I’m in a monogamous, faithful relationship.”
Brooke details her daughter’s reaction to her leaving “Dancing with the Stars”:
“She was in kindergarten and after I left the show, I remember going ‘Oh my goodness, what’s next now? When’s the next live show? What happens now?’ Because it’s a big moment when you leave a show like that to go into the decision-making process of what’s coming up next, so it was a big year of reinventing. And I remember driving to school in the morning with Rain and I was going through that inner dialogue of ‘Oh my goodness, what’s going to happen now? What do I do now?’ And I remember Rain looking at me and going ‘Mommy, this is the most amazing time ever.’ And I was like ‘What do you mean baby?’ She’s like ‘Well, you get to drive me to school, and you’re with me all the time and you’re home all the time.’ And as a mom I went, ‘Okay God, I guess I needed this pivot.’”
Brooke on her fears as she enters her third marriage:
“I’m not scared of the big things, I’m scared of little things. But I just…wanting to get it right, wanting to lead by example, wanting to get it right this time for our children. I don’t think I got it wrong [in the past two marriages], but I think change was necessary, but I think we’re bringing in more mature, better versions of ourselves to the table. We have six children, everybody’s on board. And so our intentions are not only for us and this new beautiful love, but it’s also for our family. So it’s a lot of communication, it’s a lot of love. And he’s amazing – we’ve got flow, it’s fun, he’s sexy, he’s easy. But I was willing to have my heart broken and not everybody is willing, third time around – it sounds like a lot, or even the second time around – to have a broken heart.”
