In a bombshell confession, Brooke Burke opened up about the profound bond she shared with her former Dancing with the Stars partner, Derek Hough.
While she was engaged to Baywatch icon, David Charvet, Brooke found herself drawn to Derek during their time competing in 2008.
Speaking on Cheryl Burke's podcast, Sex, Lies and Spray Tans, Brooke, 52, reminisced about her time vying for the illustrious Mirrorball Trophy.
The renowned fitness expert disclosed that the intense chemistry with her 38-year-old choreographer partner often led her to question her commitment to David, whom she divorced in 2018 after a marriage spanning nearly seven years.
Recalling her initial perceptions of Derek, Brooke described him as "so young and green and safe." As she got to know him better, she was taken aback by his undeniable talent, saying, "I had no idea he would be such a powerful, badass choreographer."
Brooke, a mother of four, went on to confess something that left listeners astounded. If she hadn't been bound by marital ties, she would've "actually hoped" for a "love affair" with Derek, a decorated three-time Emmy Award winner.
She detailed the unique intimacy that dance fosters, explaining: "You are intertwined with someone's body when you're not a dancer... So for three months, you are in someone's arms."
Elaborating on the deep connection she felt with Derek, Brooke said: "You smell them, you feel them, you're breathing with them. It can be more intimate than making love in a bedroom — you're making love on a dance floor, you feel more connected."
She highlighted the trust and vulnerability involved, emphasizing that the experience was akin to relying entirely on one another.
Despite their eventual triumph in the seventh season of the hit ABC show, the duo faced their share of hurdles.
They struggled to find harmony on the dance floor, prompting them to attend couples therapy. Brooke detailed their challenges, noting, "We weren't connected. We weren't gelling. We were having issues."
She cited Derek's exhaustion from recording an album and her own physical and emotional fatigue after recently giving birth to her daughter, Shaya Braven.
Emphasizing their contrasting life stages, Brooke said: "I was a woman and a mother. I felt like he was a young man."
To bridge the gap, they sought guidance from a life coach, a session Brooke felt was raw and genuine, expressing surprise that it never made it on air.
Reflecting on Derek's early career during their season, Brooke mentioned that he seemed more passive about winning due to his limited experience.
In her words: "I knew his young mind. I knew he wasn't competing to win." She believed that both entered the competition for exposure rather than the Mirrorball Trophy, which seemed unattainable.
Their victory, however, transformed Brooke's perspective. She remarked: "It changed my whole life." Continuing her association with the show, Brooke later co-hosted DWTS from its tenth to seventeenth season.