World Artist: Brooke Burke

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Brooke Burke

Brooke Lisa Burke (born September 8, 1971) is an American television personality, model, and occasional dancer, known for hosting Wild On! (1999–2002), Rock Star (2005–2006), for winning the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars and for co-hosting Dancing With the Stars starting in 2010 (Season 10). Burke is the oldest of nine children born to Donna and George Burke. Burke is Jewish on her mother's side, and has Irish, French, Portuguese and Philippines ancestry. She was born in Hartford, Connecticut and raised in Tucson, Arizona. She attended both Sahuaro High School and Palo Verde High School in Tucson, and later studied broadcast journalism at UCLA. Burke first appeared nude during her early modeling career for the website BlueNudes, and most notably after gaining fame in the May 2001 and November 2004 issues of Playboy. She also appeared in men's magazines such as Maxim, Stuff, and FHM. In 2007, she was listed as one of Blender's hottest women of film and TV. In 2001 Burke also competed in the TV show host edition of The Weakest Link where she was voted off in the second round.

Burke has fronted infomercials promoting a Swiss ball video home fitness workout named Gunnar Peterson's Core Secrets, and appears in the first video of the series titled 20 Minute Full Body Workout. The infomercials have screened in New Zealand and Australia. In 2005 and 2006, Burke hosted the CBS summer reality show Rock Star, an American Idol-like series in which aspiring singers competed to front a rock band. In 2007, Burke started a company called Baboosh Baby, which offers wraps for pregnant women. The company's website features a blog from Burke about her children. In 2009, Burke hosted NBC's pre-show for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards with Tiki Barber and Nancy O'Dell. Burke, along with Derek Hough as her partner, won season 7 of Dancing with the Stars. She later went on to replace Samantha Harris as co-host of the program. Burke began hosting season 10 of Dancing with the Stars alongside Tom Bergeron. In August 2010, Burke hosted the third season of the TV Land series She's Got the Look, a modeling competition show for women over 35. Burke's first book, The Naked Mom: A Modern Mom's Fearless Revelations,Savvy Advice, and Soulful Reflections, will be published February 1, 2011 by New American Library, and features her reflections on motherhood, Hollywood, romance and the challenges of creating a blended family.