ABC has officially confirmed a new spinoff in the Dancing with the Stars franchise, titled Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. The series will be hosted by Robert Irwin, winner of Season 34, and is set to premiere on July 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with episodes available the following day on Hulu.
Twelve up-and-coming dancers will move into a shared house and undergo a rigorous audition process, competing for the coveted slot as a pro dancer in Season 35. This marks the first time the franchise has opened its audition process to the public.
The judging panel will include Mark Ballas and his mother, Shirley Ballas, a professional ballroom dancer and head judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. They will be joined by a rotating lineup of returning DWTS pros who will act as mentors and guest judges.
This expansion is the first major brand extension since the series premiered in 2005. The show saw a surge in popularity last season, with Season 34 posting the highest-rated finale in nearly a decade, driven by younger viewers.
The series is produced by BBC Studios, with Conrad Green serving as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Ryan O’Dowd, Krystal Whitney, Alex Cross, and Jenny Groom, with Deena Katz and Quinn Lipton as co-executive producers.
