An exciting new “Dancing with the Stars” spin-off show is on the way — and a familiar face is taking on hosting duties for it.
Australian conservationist, zookeeper, wildlife photographer, and television presenter Robert Irwin, 22, won the thirty-fourth season of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2025, alongside his professional partner Witney Carson.
He will now become a permanent part of the show’s furniture, as he’s fronting the new spin-off, which is set around aspiring pro dancers.
Robert Irwin Will Host ‘Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro’
The Hollywood Reporter was among the first to announce the news about “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” with a post on their Instagram account.
Their post about it features pictures of “Dancing with the Stars” professional Mark Ballas, who will be one of the new show’s judges, and Robert Irwin, the show’s host.
The post’s caption begins, “Get your dancing shoes ready…🪩”
It continues, “On the heels of last season’s success, ABC announced on Wednesday that it’s expanding #DWTS into a franchise with a new competition series set around aspiring pro dancers.”
The caption concludes, “‘Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro,’ hosted by season 34 winner #RobertIrwin, will move 12 up-and-coming dancers into one house where they will compete in “a grueling audition process” to earn a spot as a pro dancer on season 35. Three-time DWTS champion #MarkBallas and his mother #ShirleyBallas are the judges, with returning pros (to be announced at a later date) who will rotate in as mentors and guest judges.”
The combination of the parent show’s current champion, a fan-favorite dancer, and “Strictly Come Dancing” royalty (who also happens to be Mark’s mother) practically ensures “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” will be a huge success.
Hulu Officially Announced the Spin-Off Show Soon After
The new “Dancing with the Stars” spin-off show will air on ABC and stream on Hulu. It wasn’t long after The Hollywood Reporter’s announcement that the Hulu account made it official.
Tagging the official “Dancing with the Stars” account in their post, the announcement came in the form of a two-minute video. The video features Shirley Ballas and Robert Irwin.
The video is captioned, “The ballroom is calling. 🪩✨ Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro with host @robertirwinphotography premieres July 13 on @abc. Stream on @hulu. #DWTSNextPro.
In the video, Ballas begins by saying, “Robert and I are so excited to be here.”
She added, “Excited to be announcing, officially, the brand new project ‘Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.”
Ballas went on, “Mark and I will be serving as judges will be hosting.”
The “Strictly Come Dancing” head judge then gave Irwin the biggest compliment, saying, “Robert here will be hosting and, let me tell you, he is the most amazing host I’ve ever worked with in my entire life.”
After thanking Ballas, Irwin said, “Seriously, it has been such an honor to step back into the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ world. ‘Dancing with the Stars’ has changed my life.”
Irwin then gave a shout out to Witney Carson, who was in the crowd. Then, Ballas and Irwin explained a little more about the show’s format. Ballas also confirmed viewers can watch on ABC and Hulu.
Instagram Users Eagerly Rushed to the Comments Section
GettyThe comments section on the post about “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” was teeming with excitement.
The official “Dancing with the Stars” account commented, “the search for the next pro is on!!”
Fans also rushed to have their say, with one writing, “How exciting! 🙌🙌”
Another “Dancing with the Stars” fan said, “SO pumped for this!!”
Someone else commented, “This is awesome 😍.”
Meanwhile, an Australian fan noted, “@robertirwinphotography, you’re doing us Aussies proud – keep up the fantastic work.”
Finally, another user simply said, “Omg!!!”
Suffice it to say that fans are excited for “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.” Luckily for them, they don’t have long to wait until it hits the small screen. The first episode will premiere on ABC on Monday, July 13, before hitting Hulu a day later.
We can’t wait!
