If you searched for news that Robert Irwin will host the new Dancing with the Stars spinoff, the story has already played out. Irwin hosted Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, which premiered on ABC on July 13, 2026. Its finale aired on August 31. Most of the pages still ranking for this search were written around the April announcement. This one covers how the show ended and what’s happening now.
Irwin’s Spinoff Has Finished Its First Season
As of October 13, 2026, here is the current status:
- The Next Pro has finished its first season. It ran on ABC Monday nights from July 13 and ended with an August 31 finale between three finalists.
- Robert Irwin hosted all of it. This was his first big hosting job since he won the main show.
- Dancing with the Stars Season 35 is on air now. It opened with a two-night premiere on September 15–16.
- No Season 2 of The Next Pro has been announced. We have not seen an ABC renewal as of publication.
This matters because The Next Pro was more than summer filler. ABC built it to find a new professional dancer for the main show. Its first season was the network’s test of whether a feeder series can bring in new talent and keep viewers watching between seasons.
A note on the winner: Trade coverage reported AJ Pritchard, Selena Hamilton and Adele Zaikman as the three finalists. We are not naming a winner or a Season 35 cast assignment until we have checked it against ABC’s official materials. We’ll update this article once we have.
How Robert Irwin Became Host of The Next Pro
The announcement
ABC and Disney announced the spinoff on April 22, 2026, at Hulu’s Get Real upfront event. They also named Irwin as host. The same announcement confirmed Dancing with the Stars for Season 35, so the two shows were linked from the start.
The format
The Next Pro was a competition between dancers, not celebrities. The setup:
- 12 up-and-coming dancers lived together in one house.
- They competed in weekly routines, with eliminations along the way.
- Shirley Ballas and Mark Ballas judged. Shirley is the head judge on the main show. Mark is a longtime DWTS pro and a two-time Mirrorball winner.
- Returning DWTS pros came in as mentors and guest judges in different weeks.
- The prize was billed as a professional spot on the main Dancing with the Stars franchise.
Being a celebrity’s partner on DWTS is a different job from competitive ballroom. A pro has to choreograph for a beginner, teach on a tight weekly schedule, and still look good on live TV. The Next Pro tested for those skills, which a standard dance competition doesn’t.
Why Irwin was a natural fit
Irwin won Dancing with the Stars Season 34 in November 2025 with pro partner Witney Carson. His season was one of the most-watched in recent years. That made him the obvious face for a show built around the pros.
Two things made the role fit him well:
- He wasn’t judging. Irwin said publicly that judging wasn’t his role. Shirley and Mark Ballas scored the dancers. That left him free to support the contestants without deciding their results.
- He had been on the other side of the process. He started Season 34 as an untrained wildlife conservationist and finished as champion. He knows what a celebrity partner needs from a pro, which is exactly what the show was testing for.
Timeline: From Announcement to Season 35
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Nov. 2025 | Robert Irwin and Witney Carson win DWTS Season 34 |
| April 22, 2026 | ABC/Disney announce The Next Pro, Irwin as host, and Season 35 at Hulu’s Get Real event |
| July 13, 2026 | The Next Pro premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with Hulu streaming the next day |
| Aug. 31, 2026 | Finale airs with three finalists |
| Sept. 15–16, 2026 | DWTS Season 35 two-night premiere |
| Oct. 2026 | Season 35 on air; no Season 2 of The Next Pro announced |
The schedule was tight. Only about two weeks passed between the spinoff finale and the Season 35 premiere. That gap matters for the winner (more below).
Who Is Affected by the Dancing With the Stars Spinoff
The contestants and the winner
The winner had the most at stake. The main show has a small group of regular pros, and spots open up rarely. The finalists also got national airtime, which helps careers in touring, teaching and choreography whether or not they won.
One practical point: the finale aired only about two weeks before the Season 35 premiere. Main-show pros usually start rehearsing with their celebrity partners several weeks before premiere night. A spinoff winner’s first role could be in the pro troupe or in group numbers instead of with a celebrity partner. That depends on ABC’s casting decision, so check the official Season 35 cast list before assuming either.
Robert Irwin
Hosting moves Irwin from one-season champion to recurring franchise talent. For a network, that is how you keep a popular winner around without bringing them back to compete. For Irwin, it means primetime hosting experience on top of his main work at Australia Zoo, which his family runs in Queensland.
Viewers, including Florida viewers
The Next Pro aired on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu, and the season remains on Hulu. In Florida, you watched it on your local ABC station. That’s WFTV Channel 9 in Orlando, WFTS Channel 28 in Tampa Bay, and WPLG Local 10 in Miami. The Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River is on Central time, so the 8 p.m. ET slot aired there at 7 p.m. CT. Keep that in mind for Season 35 and any future spinoff episodes too.
We haven’t found a verified Florida connection to Irwin’s hosting job or to the finalists, so we aren’t claiming one.
Official Response From ABC and Irwin
The main official source is ABC and Disney’s April 22 announcement. It positioned The Next Pro as a search for the franchise’s next professional dancer and named Irwin as host along with Shirley and Mark Ballas as judges. ABC’s press site and the show’s Hulu page have the official cast and format details.
When the show was announced, Irwin talked about the job as mentoring and support, not evaluation. He was clear that the Ballases would decide the scores. That fits the format: a host who is a recent champion can relate to the contestants without undermining the judges.
Asked about a second season, the show’s executive producer spoke positively about bringing it back in an interview with TVLine. They did not confirm a renewal. Treat that as interest from the producers, not a decision. ABC makes renewal calls, and as of October 13 it has not announced one.
What Happens Next for Robert Irwin and The Next Pro
Season 35 is the proving ground
Season 35 is the first real test of the spinoff. If the Next Pro winner shows up on the main show and fans respond well, the feeder-series idea works. If the winner barely appears, the spinoff looks more like a one-off summer show. Watch the weekly group numbers and any announced partner pairings.
Season 2 is unconfirmed
Nothing official yet. ABC usually announces summer shows in the spring, so a decision about a second season is most likely around spring 2027. Until ABC confirms, ignore headlines saying Season 2 is coming.
Irwin’s next move
If The Next Pro comes back, Irwin is the clear choice to host again. No second hosting deal has been announced. His conservation work in Australia is still his main job, so his TV work has to fit around it.
For more coverage of reality TV careers after the cameras stop, see our update on where the Age of Attraction Season 1 couples are now. For another athlete-turned-public-figure story, read our sourced roundup of quotes from Simone Biles.
Bottom Line
Robert Irwin didn’t just sign on to host a Dancing with the Stars spinoff. He hosted a full season, from the July 13 premiere to the August 31 finale. The next questions are whether the winner gets a real role on Season 35 and whether ABC renews The Next Pro. We’ll update this article when either is confirmed.
FAQs
Who hosted Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro?
Robert Irwin, who won Dancing with the Stars Season 34 with Witney Carson, hosted The Next Pro. Shirley Ballas and Mark Ballas were the judges. Irwin did not score the dancers.
When did Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro premiere and end?
It premiered Monday, July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with next-day streaming on Hulu. The finale aired August 31, 2026, with three finalists.
Where can I watch Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro?
The season aired on ABC and streams on Hulu. In Florida, it aired on local ABC affiliates such as WFTV in Orlando, WFTS in Tampa Bay and WPLG in Miami.
Who are the judges on The Next Pro?
Shirley Ballas, the head judge on the main show, and Mark Ballas, a longtime DWTS pro, judged The Next Pro. Returning DWTS pros came in as mentors and guest judges.
Will there be a Season 2 of The Next Pro?
Not officially. The executive producer has spoken positively about a second season, but as of October 13, 2026, ABC has not announced a renewal.
When does Dancing with the Stars Season 35 start?
Season 35 premiered with two episodes on September 15 and 16, 2026, and is airing now on ABC with streaming on Hulu.
