Spinoff Winner to Join Dancing with the Stars as New Professional
The season finale of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro determined which of three finalists will join the main show's upcoming Season 35 as a professional dancer. Each finalist performed two routines alongside a former contestant or champion. The winning pro is expected to bring a fresh dynamic to the competition.
The spinoff's finale compressed its entire season into a single high-stakes episode, requiring each of the three remaining dancers to deliver two distinct performances with seasoned partners. Adele Zaikman danced alongside Nev Schulman, AJ Pritchard partnered with Charli D'Amelio—who previously won with Mark Ballas—and Selena Hamilton shared the floor with Adam Rippon, himself a past mirrorball champion.
The winner now steps into the main competition's professional roster for Season 35, a slot that carries significant visibility given the show's long-running prime-time presence. The selection process, pairing newcomers with established alumni, appears designed to test adaptability and chemistry under pressure, qualities that will matter once the new pro faces a fresh batch of celebrity partners this fall.
This casting decision may resonate most with dedicated DWTS viewers who follow the professional lineup closely, potentially shifting the show's on-screen chemistry and competitive balance. The spinoff's winner could also influence aspiring dancers who see the series as a career gateway, reinforcing that reality-competition success can translate into mainstream entertainment opportunities. For the broader audience, the change may simply refresh familiar dynamics, though it carries modest weight in an industry where such transitions rarely alter viewership patterns significantly.