Dancing With The Stars usually internally promotes dancers from the troupe to the main cast. But the network gave viewers an inside look at the process. The winner of The Next Pro will compete on Season 35 with a celebrity partner. After several weeks of competition and eliminations, the winner will be declared on Monday, August 31, 2026. However, ABC seems to have accidentally revealed the winner.
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS.
First Season 35 Partner Pairing Revealed
Dancing With The Stars returns to the ballroom in September. But ABC couldn’t wait that long to reveal the first celebrities competing on Season 35. Summer House‘s Ciara Miller and Traitors runner-up Maura Higgins were the first two names revealed. They’re joined by Savannah Bananas ball player Jackson Olson and Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez.
There are a lot of rumors about the rest of the stars and who they could be paired with. ABC usually doesn’t reveal any of the pro dancers until the complete cast announcement. However, they made an exception for Season 35. Pro dancer Witney Carson went on Good Morning America earlier this week to share exciting news. First, she revealed that she is pregnant with her third child.
But that won’t stop her from competing on Season 35. Not only did she reveal that she’s returning for the new season, she shared the name of her celebrity partner – Jimmy Kimmel Live‘s beloved Guillermo Rodriguez.
After 34 seasons, the pro dancers are as big of an attraction as the celebrities. Fans cross their fingers every season that their favorite pros will return. Aside from confirming Witney Carson’s return, ABC has kept quiet about who else is coming back. But we do know that one of the dancers will be new to viewers.
DWTS Next Pro Winner Accidentally Spoiled By ABC
The network launched the DWTS Next Pro spinoff to find fresh, new blood for the competition. The spinoff kicked off in July with 12 professional dancers vying for a chance to join the competition. After weeks of eliminations, the judges – Mark and Shirley Ballas and Derek Hough – have narrowed it down to four: Adele Zaikman, AJ Pritchard, Allen Genkin, and Selena Hamilton.
But there can only be one winner. Even though DWTS Next Pro is still airing, celebrities and their partners have flocked to L.A. to begin rehearsing for the season premiere. The show learned its lesson from prior years when the celebrities were photographed going into the studio, spoiling their involvement. Now, the celebrities and their pro partners don huge masks to hide their identities. But one Next Pro finalist was spotted clear as day outside rehearsals.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Photographer Melanie Miller posted footage from outside the rehearsal on TikTok. Adele Zaikman was caught on camera at the rehearsal space. She was scrolling on her phone, unaware of the paparazzi nearby. Her appearance there could be for another reason, but many fans speculated that it meant she’s the winner of Next Pro and competing on Season 35.
@guesswhoisaw The winner of dancing with the stars next pro is Adele Zaikman. @Dancing with the Stars @DWTS: The Next Pro @DWTS Nation
♬ Dancing with the Stars – TV Theme Players
We’ll know for sure on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The full list of celebrities and their pro partners will be revealed on Good Morning America. DWTS returns with a two-night premiere beginning on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger