So we finally have an answer. Adele Zaikman just won the first-ever season of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, and she’s headed straight to the ballroom for season 35. No waiting around, no “maybe next year” – she earned her spot on Monday night and now she’s officially part of the pro lineup. Pretty wild turnaround for a brand new competition, honestly.
Okay, So What Actually Happened Monday Night
The season finale aired August 31, and it came down to final performances judged by Mark Ballas, Shirley Ballas, and guest judge Derek Hough (yes, THAT Derek Hough, the guy with like a million mirrorball trophies). Adele danced both a samba and – based on what’s been reported – showed off enough range and polish that the judges didn’t have much of a debate. She took the crown. First one ever for this show.
And look, being the first champion of anything carries weight. There’s no blueprint to follow, no “past winners” to compare yourself to. Adele basically set the bar for what a Next Pro champion looks like, and that’s kind of a big deal when you think about it.
Her Reaction Said It All
Adele didn’t try to play it cool or act like this was just another Tuesday. She got real about what the moment meant to her, saying, “I just feel like this is a celebration. All the sacrifices that I have done, it’s just a big, ‘I made it’ moment.”
“I just feel like this is a celebration. All the sacrifices that I have done, it’s just a big, ‘I made it’ moment.”
I mean, come on. That’s not some rehearsed sound bite. That’s someone who’s clearly put in years of unglamorous work – the kind nobody sees, the early mornings, the rejected auditions, all of it – finally getting a moment where it pays off. Dance is brutal like that. You can be insanely talented and still spend years grinding in the background before anyone notices.
So What Does Winning Actually Get Her?
Here’s the good part. Winning The Next Pro doesn’t just come with a trophy and a nice Instagram caption. It comes with an actual spot on season 35 of Dancing With the Stars. As in, she’s officially a pro now, paired up with a celebrity, dancing live on network TV every week. That’s the whole point of this spinoff, really – find new talent and fast-track them into the main show instead of making them wait years in the wings.
We don’t know who she’s paired with yet. That reveal is happening Wednesday, September 2, on Good Morning America, alongside the rest of the season 35 cast – both pros and celebrities. So basically, we’ve got Adele’s name locked in, but the puzzle piece of who she’s dancing with all season is still missing. Kind of a tease, not gonna lie.
Why This Matters for the Franchise
DWTS has been running for what feels like forever at this point, and shows that have been around that long tend to get a little predictable. The Next Pro is a smart move because it injects new blood into the pro roster without just… hiring someone off a resume. Fans get to watch the audition process play out, get attached to a favorite, and then see them show up on the actual show months later. It’s basically built-in investment. You already know Adele’s story before she’s even stepped onto the season 35 floor.
What This Actually Means
I’ll be honest, I think this format works better than people expected. Reality competition spinoffs can be hit or miss – some feel like cheap cash grabs, others actually add something to the original show. This one seems to land in the second camp, mostly because the stakes are real. It’s not just a title, it’s an actual job on one of the biggest dance shows on TV.
Adele’s win is a good story on its own, but the more interesting part comes September 2 when we find out who she’s dancing with. That pairing is going to shape her entire season – the chemistry, the storyline, all of it. So yeah, the crown matters, but this is really just the beginning of her season 35 story, not the end of anything.
