Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro officially has a release date for this summer. The spin-off series will be hosted by Robert Irwin and feature a group of aspiring dancers competing to become a new pro on Season 35 of the show.
What to Know About Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro
Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro will premiere on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu. Wildlife conservationist and Season 34 Mirrorball champion Robert Irwin will serve as the show’s host.
According to ABC, the show will feature 12 hopeful dancers living together in a house as they compete for the opportunity to join DWTS as a pro for Season 35, premiering later this year. The show’s judging panel will feature pro Mark Ballas and his mother, Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas.
Various DWTS pros will also appear on the show as guest mentors and judges throughout the season. The lineup of guests will be revealed at a later date. A brief teaser clip was released giving fans a sneak peek at the show’s contestants, who display their best moves.
Dancing with the Stars showrunner Conrad Green will also serve as the showrunner and executive producer for The Next Pro.
The full cast announcement for Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars, including the lineup of pros, will happen later this year, but two celebrity contestants have already been announced for the upcoming competition.
Love Island UK star Maura Higgins and Summer House star Ciara Miller are the first two stars to be announced for Season 35. They’ll be stepping into the ballroom when the show returns later this year. Both Higgins and Miller have also appeared on The Traitors.
An official premiere date has yet to be announced for Season 35 of DWTS. However, the show typically kicks off in September.
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Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
