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Multiple Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist Sam Champion is all set to partner up with dance pro, Cheryl Burke on DWTS. The duo has been friends “for nearly 10 years” before contesting the reality dance competition.
The show is set to premiere on Monday, September 19, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on Disney+, featuring celebs like Vinny Guadagnino, Charli D’Amelio, and Teresa Giudice.
All about Cheryl Burke’s celebrity partner Sam Champion on DWTS
Samuel James Champion aka Sam Champion was born in 1961 in Kentucky. The American weather anchor has a net worth of $10 million dollars, as per Celebrity Net Worth.
He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a bachelor's degree in broadcast news and began his career as an intern at WKYT-TV in Lexington, KY. He then began working at Eyewitness News in 1988. Before joining WABC-TV, he worked as a weekend anchor and news reporter at WPSD-TV in Paducah, KY.
Sam is well known for his combined 25-year career on ABC's flagship stations WABC-TV and Good Morning America. He earlier co-anchored AMHQ: America's Morning Headquarters and 23.5 Degrees With Sam Champion on The Weather Channel.
He then worked as a weather anchor for Good Morning America in 2006. His official profile on ABC7 New York reads:
“In his capacity as Weather Editor, he also built ABC News's Weather, Climate and Environment Unit, and oversaw all weather, climate, and environmental coverage and content on all ABC platforms.”
Sam later went on to become the Managing Editor of the Weather Channel in 2012, where he created and hosted AMHQ.
The recipient of the Peabody Award for his "Sandy Coverage" and winner of four Emmys returned to WABC in 2019 and became the weather anchor for Eyewitness News This Morning.
In addition to his broadcasting work, Sam also works with multiple charitable organizations. He married his partner of several years, Rubem Robierb, on December 21, 2012.
What to expect from Sam Champion on DWTS
The weather anchor is now all set to showcase his killer moves on DWTS with friend and dance pro, Cheryl Burke. Although he has never danced before, he is hopeful that his steps will impress the judges and the audience. Speaking about being a contestant on DWTS, Sam said on Good Morning America:
"I've never danced a moment in my life. It’s a competition and I cannot reveal all of the secrets of the dance moves that I will bring, because I don't know them.”
Sam is one of the 16 contestants competing for Mirrorball this year on DWTS alongside other contestants like Selma Blair, Jason Lewis, Shangela, Jordin Sparks, Charli D'Amelio, Cheryl Ladd and Wayne Brady.
Earlier, Sam was very “uncomfortable" talking about himself and his sexuality, but is now happy to be a part of the show and “getting in touch with” his true identity.
Speaking about whether he will open up about his sexuality on DWTS, he told Us Weekly:
"So, it is a story of little bit about I was a young gay kid at a very different time in America and in the world, when that was something that was presented to you as shame. So, I am working through a lot this stuff where I always thought I loved to dance but I always was afraid to have that conversation."
He denied dancing years ago when Cheryl asked since he was not ready for it back then, but now the duo has teamed up in the hope of winning the DWTS title.
Stream the new season of DWTS on Disney+ on September 19.
