‘DWTS: The Next Pro’ crowns winner as finale reveals Season 35 cast addition
The highly anticipated ‘Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro’ finale featured the three finalists competing to win a spot on the upcoming ‘DWTS’ Season 35. AJ Pritchard, Adele Zaikman, and Selena Hamilton took the stage in the episode titled ‘The Final Step: Finale With Derek Hough and Witney Carson.’ Derek joined the panel as a guest judge alongside Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas, while Witney was the co-host with Robert Irwin. During the episode, it was revealed that the finalists had to choose their own dance style for the finale and prepare in three days.
Selena chose to jive with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon as her celebrity partner. “Adam knows that push, and he’s not afraid when I give a correction,” noted Selena. After witnessing their performance, Mark called her “an electric dancer and performer,” while Shirley said she was “Miss Wow.” As for the guest judge Derek, he told Selena, “You command attention when you walk on that floor. The cameras love you. We love you.” AJ chose a Viennese waltz, and his partner for the finale was Charli D'Amelio. Mark said AJ was a "fantastic ballroom dancer," but pointed out a few "minor tweaks" from the performance. While praising the precise technical mastery of the dance, Shirley wondered, “Did you get the most out of this young lady?”
Adele then took the stage for a Samba with her celebrity partner Nev Schulman. She told the cameras that it was the “hardest Latin dance style” to learn. Notably, her partner hadn’t danced in over six years, and she had "no idea" she would be "teaching someone who never danced the samba before." Derek applauded the challenge that Adele took on. “The queen cobra struck again tonight!” noted Mark, and Shirley referred to Adele as a "magical teacher." Further in the episode, fans witnessed a freestyle round. Selena and Adam first took the stage, followed by AJ’s performance.
After a series of routines, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived. It was revealed that Selena came in third place, and she said, “I didn’t think I would make it past week one, so being in the top three has given me so much, and amazing friends. This is not the end.” Shirley then announced the winner, “The next pro is…Adele!” As everyone cheered for her, Adele said, “I just feel like this is a celebration of all the sacrifices that I’ve done. It’s just like a big ‘I made it’ moment.” This meant AJ was the runner-up of the debut season, and he told the cameras, “I’ve had the opportunity to dance in the finale - especially with Charli. Every single moment was so enriching and something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.” This means Adele will be part of the upcoming ‘DWTS’ Season 35, and her celebrity partner will be revealed on September 2, 2026, on 'Good Morning America.'
