Lindsay Arnold, Sharna Burgess Will Not Return to The ‘DWTS’ Ballroom for Season 31
Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images, Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images Reading Time: 2 minutes
When Dancing with the Stars returns for Season 31 on Disney+, pro dancers Lindsay Arnold and Sharna Burgess will not be competing. Both dancers started on the show in Season 16. Arnold won Season 25 with Jordan Fisher, while Burgess won Season 27 with Bobby Bones.
Lindsay Arnold Chooses Not to Return to DWTS
On Wednesday, Arnold posted a photo of herself with her husband Sam Cusick and their 1-year-old daughter Sage. She said choosing to leave DWTS was “one of the hardest decisions to make.” Arnold lives with her family in Utah, and she chose not to make the move to Los Angeles for the show.
“All this being said it’s so important to me that you understand none of this has anything to do with my love for the show as that will NEVER change and it also doesn’t mean that this is the end for me and DWTS,” she wrote, adding that she’ll be watching her fellow pros compete this season.
Arnold elaborated on her decision in a TikTok video, explaining that “life is so different for me now” and “family is truly the most important thing to me.” She added that if the show filmed in Utah, “I would do it until I was 75 years old.”
Another factor in Arnold’s decision was that she and her husband are trying to have another baby. She called the decision to step away from DWTS “heartbreaking” and once again reiterated how much she loves the show and can’t wait to watch this season.
SEE ALSO: THESE PROFESSIONAL DANCERS HAVE BEEN REVEALED AS CAST OF ‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’ SEASON 31
Sharna Burgess Is Stepping Away for Similar Reasons
Also on Wednesday, Sharna Burgess took to her Instagram stories to share with fans that she would not be competing in Season 31 of the show. She cited similar reasons, as she gave birth to her son Zane with partner Brian Austin Green in June.
Burgess said she had made the “really hard decision” to sit the season out, explaining, “I was not ready to spend at minimum 10 hours a day away from Zane.” However, she also said she “will be there in some capacity” and shared that she feels great physically and is “so ready to dance.”
Like Arnold, Burgess emphasized how much she loves the show, and how excited she is about the upcoming season, calling it “so magical.” She later clarified that this is just for the upcoming season, and she’s not quitting the show entirely.
Season 31 of Dancing with the Stars premieres Monday, September 19, on Disney+.
