Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro returned on Monday night for the season finale, as a winner was finally crowned. Adele Zaikman was named the Season 1 winner, which means she’ll join DWTS Season 35 as a pro.
Adele Zaikman Named DWTS: The Next Pro Winner
During Monday night’s DWTS: The Next Pro finale, the remaining three contestants were paired with past DWTS celebrity finalists to perform two routines each — their favorite style of Latin or ballroom, as well as a freestyle.
Adele Zaikman was paired with Catfish star Nev Schulman, who was the runner-up on Season 29. For their first performance, the pair danced a samba routine that had judge Mark Ballas calling Adele a “queen cobra.” Shirley Ballas praised her as a “magnificent teacher.”
Later in the episode, Adele and Nev danced a fierce freestyle that incorporated elements of the Argentine tango and the paso doble. Guest judge Derek Hough called Adele “captivating,” while Mark Ballas praised her for choreographing “two really ambitious routines.”
At the end of the night, Adele was named the winner of The Next Pro, which means she’ll be competing with a celebrity on Season 35 of the show. We’ll find out who her partner is when the full cast is revealed on Good Morning America this Wednesday.
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Who Finished in Second Place?
The runner-up on DWTS: The Next Pro was AJ Pritchard, who previously competed as a pro on Strictly Come Dancing in the UK. He was paired with TikTok star and Season 31 winner Charli D’Amelio. Their first performance was a Viennese waltz. Mark Ballas said it had “plenty of content.”
Similarly, Shirley Ballas praised the pair’s freestyle routine for being “jam-packed” with different styles. Hough compared one part of the performance to a Broadway show. However, it wasn’t enough to win the competition.
Finishing in third place was Selena Hamilton, who was paired with figure skater and Season 26 winner Adam Rippon. Their first performance was a jive, which prompted Shirley Ballas to dub Selena “Miss Wow.” After their freestyle routine, Hough said that Selena would be an “instant favorite” on DWTS.
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Do you agree with the results of the DWTS: The Next Pro finale? Are you excited to see Adele competing as a pro on the new season? Let us know in the comments below, and tune in to the two-part DWTS Season 35 premiere, September 15 and 16 on ABC and Disney+.
