DWTS Shock: Sharna Burgess Admits Being Away From Son Zane Was Hard on Her “Mama Heart”
For professional dancer Sharna Burgess, returning to the ballroom of Dancing With the Stars was a dream come true. However, behind the excitement, glamorous costumes, demanding rehearsals, and weekly performances was an emotional challenge that many working parents understand: spending precious time away from her young son.
The 41-year-old Australian dancer recently opened up about the emotional side of her return to the popular competition series, admitting that being away from her four-year-old son, Zane, was much harder than she initially expected. In an emotional message shared through her Instagram Story on Wednesday, November 4, Burgess revealed how her demanding schedule sometimes kept her away from her little boy for days at a time.
“Being away from Zane like this was new so it was hard on my mama heart,” she wrote.
Her honest confession quickly drew attention from fans who have followed her journey through professional dancing, motherhood, and her relationship with actor Brian Austin Green. While Burgess has always been passionate about her career, her latest comments show just how much her priorities and perspective have changed since becoming a mother.
Sharna Burgess Opens Up About the Emotional Cost of Returning to DWTS
Returning to Dancing With the Stars after several years away marked an important professional moment for Burgess. The dancer had spent years building her reputation as one of the show’s recognizable professional performers, but motherhood brought a new chapter into her life.
When she welcomed Zane in June 2022, her world changed in ways she could never have fully anticipated.
For the first few years of her son’s life, Burgess devoted much of her attention to motherhood. Although she continued exploring other professional opportunities, the daily demands of raising a young child meant that returning to the ballroom was not something she could immediately commit to.
Now that she has returned for season 35, she is experiencing a different kind of challenge.
According to her Instagram message, the hardest part of the experience has been the amount of time she spends away from Zane. She explained that her schedule sometimes requires her to leave home before her son wakes up and return after he has already fallen asleep.
On some occasions, she said, nearly an entire week could pass with that kind of routine.
For a mother who spent the first three years of her child’s life being deeply involved in his everyday routine, the adjustment was understandably emotional.
The experience highlights an often-overlooked side of professional entertainment. Audiences see the performances, beautiful outfits, impressive choreography, and excitement of live television, but they rarely see the sacrifices performers make behind the scenes.
For Burgess, the sacrifices involve missing ordinary family moments that might seem small to others but mean everything to a parent.
Why Sharna Believes Her Comeback Is Important
Although being away from Zane has been difficult, Burgess made it clear that she does not regret returning to the show.
In fact, she believes that pursuing her professional dreams is also an important lesson for her son.
She explained that it is valuable for Zane to see his mother working hard, following her ambitions, and demonstrating dedication.
“It’s so hard but at the same time so important for him to see me chasing my dreams and learning what work ethic and drive look like,” she shared.
Her statement reflects a meaningful change in how she approaches motherhood and her career.
For many parents, balancing professional ambitions with family responsibilities can create feelings of guilt. There are days when work demands attention, while other moments remind parents that children grow quickly and childhood cannot be repeated.
Burgess appears determined to find a healthy balance rather than believing she must completely sacrifice one part of her identity to protect the other.
She also reflected on the three years when Zane had almost all of her attention.
“He had all of me for three years and now it’s time for me to have me, to rebuild all the things that were paused,” she explained.
The comment offers an honest look at the emotional transition many parents experience after welcoming a child.
Motherhood can become such a central part of someone’s identity that returning to personal ambitions may feel unfamiliar. For Burgess, stepping back into the professional world represents an opportunity to rediscover a part of herself that had been placed on hold.
She added that she loves the idea of Zane growing up with both versions of his mother: the devoted parent who is present at home and the hardworking performer who continues pursuing her dreams.
A Five-Year Break From the Ballroom
Burgess has a long history with Dancing With the Stars. Before her recent comeback, she competed as a professional dancer for 14 seasons and became a familiar face to millions of viewers.
Her journey with the show experienced an unexpected pause after she became a mother.
In 2022, Burgess announced that she would not participate in that year’s competition because she was not ready to spend long hours away from her newborn son.
At the time, she explained that the show’s demanding schedule could require her to spend at least 10 hours away from home each day.
With a newborn to care for and breastfeeding responsibilities, she decided that motherhood needed to come first.
It was a difficult professional decision, but one she felt was right for her family.
Her absence eventually became longer than she initially anticipated. Although she had hoped to return, she was not brought back for the following season.
Burgess later discussed how unexpected that development had been and how difficult it was to process the change in her professional life.
However, she did not completely walk away from entertainment. She continued exploring other opportunities, including acting and projects outside the ballroom.
When conversations about returning to Dancing With the Stars began again, the timing was different.
Her son was older and preparing for preschool, and Burgess felt more comfortable considering a demanding television schedule.
In August 2026, she discussed the possibility of returning and explained that she had reached a point where she wanted dancing to become a bigger part of her life again.
That opportunity eventually became reality when she returned for season 35 in September.
Dancing Alongside Tyler Cameron
For her comeback season, Burgess was paired with reality television personality Tyler Cameron.
Cameron, who became widely known through The Bachelorette, entered the ballroom with a different background from many celebrity contestants.
While he brought enthusiasm and determination, professional ballroom dancing required him to learn unfamiliar techniques, develop coordination, and build confidence in front of a live audience.
Burgess took on the responsibility of guiding him through the competition.
The partnership gave her an opportunity to demonstrate the experience and skills she had developed throughout her years on the show.
However, the competition was not without its difficulties.
The weekly rehearsals, demanding choreography, and pressure to deliver entertaining performances required considerable commitment from both partners.
Eventually, Burgess and Cameron were eliminated during a double elimination on Horror Movie Night.
Although their journey ended earlier than they might have hoped, her return was still an important milestone.
For Burgess, the experience was about more than collecting another trophy or reaching the final.
It was an opportunity to reconnect with dancing, challenge herself professionally, and show her son what it means to pursue something meaningful.
Brian Austin Green’s Role in Supporting Their Family
Behind Burgess’s return to television is her relationship with fiancé Brian Austin Green.
The actor, known for his work on Beverly Hills, 90210, has also experienced the challenges of balancing a demanding entertainment career with parenting.
Green and Burgess began dating in 2020 and welcomed their son, Zane, in June 2022. The couple became engaged in 2023.
Green is also a father to four children from previous relationships, making family responsibilities an important part of their everyday lives.
With Burgess returning to a demanding television production, the couple have needed to coordinate their schedules and share parenting responsibilities.
Green has previously explained that he supports Burgess even when he cannot attend every live performance.
In an October 2026 interview, he discussed why attending the studio in person had become more difficult. Production restrictions involving young children made it challenging to bring Zane and the other children to the show.
Nevertheless, Green emphasized that his support did not depend on physically sitting in the audience.
He could cheer for Burgess from home while taking care of family responsibilities.
The arrangement demonstrates how professional opportunities often require teamwork between parents.
Rather than expecting one person to handle everything, couples must find ways to adjust their schedules and support one another.
Burgess has also acknowledged that there is no perfect formula for managing their busy lives.
She previously explained that sometimes they get the balance right and sometimes they do not. For her, the important thing is continuing to work together and adapting when circumstances change.
Making Sure Zane Remains Part of Her World
Despite the demanding schedule, Burgess has made an effort to include Zane in her professional journey.
She explained that when she is not working, she is fully present at home.
She also wants her son to understand what she does for a living rather than seeing her career as something completely separate from family life.
Zane gets to hear about her work, watch her performances on television, and sometimes visit the studio to see what happens behind the scenes.
These experiences can help children understand that their parents have interests, responsibilities, and ambitions beyond the home.
For Burgess, sharing that side of her life with Zane is especially important.
She wants him to see that being a mother does not mean giving up every personal dream.
At the same time, she recognizes that being a professional dancer cannot replace the importance of being present for her child.
Her approach is about creating room for both responsibilities.
She described the arrangement as allowing both her and Zane to experience the best of both worlds.
It is a thoughtful message for working parents who sometimes struggle with the belief that professional success and family happiness cannot exist together.
Why the DWTS Live Tour Will Be Different
Although Burgess is excited about continuing her connection with the Dancing With the Stars family, she has also been realistic about the amount of time she can spend away from home.
Following the television competition, she expressed excitement about joining the upcoming live tour.
However, she does not intend to commit to the entire three-month journey.
Instead, she plans to participate for only a couple of weeks at a time.
Burgess explained that her current family circumstances would make it difficult to leave Zane for several months.
She also acknowledged that traveling with a young child is not always practical.
While short periods away from home are something her family can manage, an extended tour would represent a much bigger challenge.
Her decision demonstrates that returning to her career does not mean abandoning the boundaries she has established as a parent.
She is willing to accept opportunities, but she also understands the importance of knowing when to say no.
That balance may look different for every family, but Burgess appears committed to finding an arrangement that works for everyone involved.
Fans See a Different Side of Sharna Burgess
Over the years, fans have watched Burgess perform complicated routines, celebrate victories, experience difficult eliminations, and develop relationships with her celebrity partners.
Her latest comments reveal a more personal side of her life.
Instead of discussing choreography or competition results, she is talking about the emotional experience of leaving her child at home while pursuing her professional ambitions.
Her honesty makes her story relatable to parents who have experienced similar feelings.
Whether someone works in entertainment, business, healthcare, education, or another profession, the challenge of balancing career and family is familiar.
There can be excitement about returning to work alongside sadness about missing time with children.
Burgess’s message does not suggest that she has discovered a perfect solution. Instead, it shows that she is learning as she goes.
She understands that some sacrifices are unavoidable, but she also believes her son can benefit from watching her work toward something she loves.
A New Chapter for Sharna and Her Family
Sharna Burgess’s return to Dancing With the Stars represents much more than a professional comeback.
It marks a new chapter in her life, one in which motherhood and personal ambition are finding a different kind of balance.
Her emotional admission about missing Zane shows that even exciting opportunities can come with difficult moments.
Leaving home before her son wakes up and returning after he is asleep is not the family routine she would necessarily choose. Nevertheless, she believes the experience is helping her reconnect with herself while teaching her son valuable lessons about determination and hard work.
Her relationship with Brian Austin Green, their shared parenting responsibilities, and her decision to limit her participation in the live tour all demonstrate how carefully she is considering her family’s needs.
For now, Burgess seems determined to embrace both sides of her identity.
She can be the mother who wants to spend every possible moment with her little boy and the professional dancer who still has dreams worth chasing.
And perhaps that is the most meaningful part of her story.
Her return to the ballroom may have brought back the excitement of television competition, but her words about Zane have reminded fans that the most important victories in life do not always happen under the bright studio lights.
Sometimes, the greatest achievement is finding the courage to pursue your dreams while making sure the people you love remain at the center of your world.
