Cheryl Burke has struggled with her weight for years while appearing on Dancing With the Stars. It seemed to her like she could never get it right for everyone who was criticizing her.

“Five years ago, I got criticized by the press, like Howard Stern, about being too fat. But it’s another thing when your fans say to you, ‘Oh my god, you look like you’re dying,’ ” Cheryl Burke said.

The criticism by Stern that she speaks of went like this,

“Some of the dancers are fat,” said Stern of Cheryl Burke and another woman on the show. “There’s two dancers on there that are overweight…They must go home and eat a truckload of food…There’s one young girl, blonde-haired girl—she’s BIG. It’s Chaz’s dancing partner [Lacey Schwimmer]….I don’t understand how someone who does that much physical exercise could gain that much weight. And then, the Cheryl girl…She’s thick.”

Of course, Howard Stern has a long, long history of taking it on himself to label regular-sized celebrities as “fat”. Cheryl Burke is in good company with the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, and even Rihanna.

Howard Stern insults people all day long, but it really hurt Cheryl Burke when criticism came from fans of the show.

“When you change your lifestyle, your body changes. I’m completely healthy. My curves are never going to go away. Have I lost weight? Absolutely. But not in an unhealthy way. I want everyone to know that. I love my fans. But words are hurtful, especially coming from people you think always have your back.”

Cheryl Burke looks great at a healthy, normal size. How does she do it? Nothing special, just eating right and getting plenty of exercise.

“I’m taking care of my body. Eighty percent of it is what you eat and what you consume. It’s all about portion control. I’m not on a diet. I’m not on Atkins or anything. It’s just the fact that I’m eating right.”

Congrats to Cheryl Burke for overcoming harsh criticism and finding the strength to accept herself as she is!

Image via Instagram