Who Will Win DWTS: The Next Pro? Our Final Four Prediction Before the Semifinals

Finale result (spoilers): Adele Zaikman won Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro in the August 31, 2026 finale, as reported by ABC News. The assessment below was written before the result and preserves our prediction at that point in the competition.

Our prediction before the August 24 semifinal

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro has reached its final four, and Adele Zaikman currently has the strongest case to win, although AJ Pritchard is close enough that the August 24 semifinals could easily change that assessment. Allen Genkin remains a legitimate contender, while Selena Hamilton enters as the biggest underdog after narrowly surviving Episode 6. There is also a new complication: paparazzi photos of Adele around the DWTS studio in Los Angeles have fueled speculation that she may already be the winner. At the time of this August 24 prediction, ABC had not confirmed the photo theory, so the images were not evidence of the result. Based only on what has aired, Adele remains our narrow pick.

Adele Zaikman has the strongest overall case

Adele’s advantage is that she increasingly looks like more than an exceptional competitive dancer. Episode 6 forced the remaining contestants to prove they could teach beginners, arguably the most realistic test of what a regular DWTS professional actually does, and Adele handled that assignment well. Her approach with Anthony Riccardo was direct and efficient, allowing them to attempt an ambitious tango despite having only two days together.

Mark Ballas praised the way Adele handled rehearsal under severe time pressure, while Shirley Ballas liked both the risks in her choreography and her firm teaching style. Witney Carson was also impressed by what Adele was able to accomplish. The occasional criticism of Adele has been that she can appear extremely serious or technically driven, but that weakness is easier to address than a lack of ballroom knowledge or teaching ability. Episode 6 strengthened rather than weakened her argument that she could step into a Season 35 partnership immediately.

Official ABC semifinal photos now show Adele paired with Gleb Savchenko for the August 24 episode. That is a particularly interesting test because Gleb has spent years translating ballroom technique into television-friendly choreography. Adele already has the technical foundation. The semifinal should show whether she can match the performance scale and personality expected from an established DWTS pro.

Do the new Adele photos reveal that she won?

No, but they are easily the most interesting off-screen clue surrounding the final four.

Adele was reportedly photographed around the Dancing with the Stars studio in Los Angeles after The Next Pro had finished filming. Because the winner’s prize is a professional position on Season 35, fans have naturally interpreted her presence around the flagship show’s rehearsal environment as possible evidence that she won. Cosmopolitan has already documented the theory, and it has become part of current winner speculation.

The problem is that there are other possible explanations for Adele being around the DWTS production. When this prediction was first published, ABC had not announced her as the winner, and the photographs had not been confirmed as showing a Season 35 celebrity partnership.

I would therefore not change the prediction because of the photos alone. Adele was already my slight favorite based on the competition itself. The photographs add intrigue, but using them as proof would turn speculation into a false spoiler.

AJ Pritchard may still be the safest choice for the DWTS job

AJ has something nobody else in the final four can fully replicate: he has already spent several seasons doing a very similar job on Strictly Come Dancing.

That experience became especially valuable during the teaching challenge. AJ had two days to coach Bailey McKnight through a Viennese waltz, and Shirley called what he achieved “miraculous.” Mark also emphasized how comfortable Bailey looked dancing with AJ, while Witney’s criticism focused more on wanting a deeper emotional connection than on his ability to teach the dance.

For an audition to become a DWTS pro, that is an extremely strong result. Teaching a celebrity is not a secondary responsibility on Dancing with the Stars. It is the job.

The semifinal gives AJ another intriguing assignment. ABC’s official photographs show him paired with Rylee Arnold, one of the flagship show’s most recognizable younger pros.

AJ’s challenge is almost the opposite of Adele’s. Nobody seriously doubts that he understands how this kind of television competition works. What the judges have repeatedly pushed him to demonstrate is greater spontaneity, emotional openness and evidence that his extensive experience has not made him predictable.

If he delivers that with Rylee, AJ could easily move into first place.

Related: Why Is Sharna Burgess Returning to DWTS Season 35 After Five Years Away?

Allen Genkin remains the strongest dark horse

Allen has not received quite as much attention as Adele or AJ, but dismissing him would be a mistake.

His strongest quality is the one DWTS professionals repeatedly describe as essential: making a partner believe they can actually perform. During Episode 6, Witney praised the way Allen built Zaira Yzabelle’s confidence, while Mark liked his energy and Shirley responded positively to the partnership. The remaining concern was technical, particularly tightening the basic ballroom elements.

That gives Allen a clearer path forward than Selena. His fundamentals need polishing, but his ability to connect and create trust has already been demonstrated.

Allen’s semifinal partner may also be significant. Official ABC photography confirms that he is teamed with Witney Carson.

Witney knows better than almost anyone what producers expect from a new DWTS professional. She has also revealed that she participated in three episodes of The Next Pro and already knows who ultimately wins. In an August interview, Witney said she believed the eventual winner “really deserved it,” although she carefully avoided identifying the contestant.

Her pairing with Allen should not be interpreted as a winner clue. But it does give him a valuable semifinal opportunity to work directly alongside one of the franchise’s most successful current pros.

Selena Hamilton has the hardest path to the finale

Selena remains dangerous because she possesses something television competitions value enormously: she is difficult to ignore.

Her jazz and commercial dance background gives her movement a different quality from several of the more traditional ballroom contestants, and judges have repeatedly recognized her performance presence. Even in Episode 6, Witney described Selena’s quickstep as memorable, while Mark praised its speed, musicality and energy. The problem was the actual assignment.

The routine did not contain enough quickstep material, failed to travel sufficiently around the floor and led Shirley to question whether Selena had properly taught the character of the dance. She landed in jeopardy alongside Nina Mayster and survived, but Shirley bluntly indicated that both women still lacked knowledge.

That makes Selena the semifinalist with the most obvious technical question hanging over her.

ABC’s semifinal photos pair her with Jan Ravnik, which could be an especially revealing combination.

Selena does not need to become Adele technically overnight. She does need to show that her creativity and stage presence can exist inside the ballroom requirements rather than replacing them. If the judges again feel she is avoiding the assigned style, surviving another elimination will become much harder.

The semifinal pairings could change everything

The August 24 semifinal is specifically designed to place the four hopefuls beside people already doing the job they want.

The confirmed pairings shown in ABC’s official photo gallery are:

AJ Pritchard with Rylee Arnold
Adele Zaikman with Gleb Savchenko
Allen Genkin with Witney Carson
Selena Hamilton with Jan Ravnik

Kym Johnson joins Mark and Shirley Ballas as guest judge, and ABC says the contestants will face two semifinal rounds while competing for places in the finale.

Only three contestants can move forward. ABC has already confirmed that the August 31 finale will feature a final three partnering with former DWTS finalists Charli D’Amelio, Nev Schulman and Adam Rippon, with Derek Hough guest judging and Witney Carson co-hosting alongside Robert Irwin.

That makes tonight’s elimination considerably more important than a normal weekly result.