Cheryl Burke: “Curves are Sexy”

Cheryl Burke still hates to think about the tabloid that criticized her weight back in 2008. The article came out right before the Dancing with the Stars premiere, “and I was wearing a costume and had to go out and face millions of people,” she remembers. “Obviously I’m human and I was hurt by it and affected by it.”

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She says that the public slam led her to doubt herself continuously when she went on the red carpet or put on one of the notoriously skimpy Dancing with the Stars costumes. But she didn’t want to keep doubting herself, and she doesn’t want anyone else to either. “Embrace your body,” is her message. “Curves are sexy as hell.”

“For me it’s all about making sure women out there have self-esteem and just be able to be confident in their own skin.”

In fact, Cheryl is so confident these days, she became a spokesperson for Depend undergarments. And it’s “Depend,” not “Depends,” she clarifies.

WATCH: Former Depend spokeswoman, Lisa Rinna

At 29, she doesn’t actually need to use a Depend, but she did the ad campaign to help out one of her favorite charities. “Because I did try on Depend, $50,000 goes to this amazing charity called Dress for Success, which is an amazing organization that empowers women to have confidence in themselves.”

To see what happened when Ali tried on a Depend, check out this episode of Daily Shot!