- - Sharna Burgess Shuts Down Rumors of BTS 'Toxicity' on “DWTS”, Says It's 'Certainly Not the Show Itself or the People on It'

Madison E. GoldbergDecember 6, 2025 at 6:11 AM

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Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Sharna Burgess attends the 93rd Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade with Grand Marshal Luke Wilson in Support of Marine Toys for Tots on November 30, 2025. -

Sharna Burgess is shutting down rumors of behind-the-scenes "toxicity" on Dancing with the Stars

Burgess answered a fan's question about the show in a Q&A on her Instagram Stories

"It's certainly not the show itself or the people on it," said Burgess, who joined the show in season 16, and departed in season 30

Sharna Burgess is shutting down rumors of behind-the-scenes "toxicity" on Dancing with the Stars.

Burgess, 40, who joined DWTS as a pro in season 16, answered a fan's question in a Q&A on her Instagram Stories.

When a fan wrote in, "What do you think DWTS toxic means?," Burgess replied, "I've never heard this but l'm gonna have to assume The fandom (some not all obvi)."

"It's certainly not the show itself or the people on it," she went on. "Gosh I hate even seeing those two words together it's so sad but yeah the online hate is just another level these days. On the flip side so is the online love and adoration. It's the ying and yang.. the balance I guess. Where there are more people that love something there will also be more people that don't."

Burgess added that the show's popularity has inspired "every man and his dog [who] wants to go viral with their 'hot takes' " to leave hurtful comments online, even though "most of them would cry for a photo with any of the people that they speak so portly of if given the chance."

Sharna Burgess/Instagram

Dancing With the Stars Alum Sharna Burgess Addresses Show’s Alleged Toxicity

The former pro notably competed as Bobby Bones' partner in season 27 — whose Mirrorball win was controversial among fans, and with former DWTS host Tom Bergeron.

The podcast host, 45, recently shared that he sent his Mirrorball trophy “back to ABC” following criticism of his win, while addressing “hurtful” comments former DWTS host Bergeron, 70, recently made to Parade.

In a TikTok posted on Nov. 12, Bones responded to Bergeron telling Parade the win that “shocked” him the most was Bobby Bones' victory. “Bobby Bones was the first time I kind of — it was like ouch," Bergeron said.

In his response, Bones shared, “I try not to get my feelings hurt, especially about stuff like this, but this was hurtful.” He added that it wasn’t “because of what was said, but really who said it.”

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Bones asked his followers what he was supposed to do in his situation, saying, “I didn’t even wanna be on the show. I had no intention of being on Dancing with the Stars. I was working on a different show at the network, they asked me to go on the show to promote. Am I supposed to not show up and work hard?”

Bones called the “amount of hate” he still gets years later “crazy,” and said people he respects — like “Tom Bergeron” and “Julianne Hough,” who also "strongly disagreed" with his win — continue to bring up his time on the series.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”