Did Adele Zaikman Already Win DWTS: The Next Pro? The Winner Spoiler Explained

Adele Zaikman has reached the Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro finale, but she has not officially been announced as the winner. The growing belief that Adele already won comes from paparazzi photos and social media footage apparently showing her around the Dancing with the Stars studio in Los Angeles after The Next Pro had finished filming. Since the winner is guaranteed a professional position on DWTS Season 35, her presence around the main show’s production naturally looked suspicious. It is a compelling clue, especially now that Adele has survived the semifinals, but ABC has not confirmed that the photos reveal the result.

Why do fans think Adele Zaikman won The Next Pro?

The theory began because Adele was reportedly photographed leaving the Dancing with the Stars rehearsal environment in Los Angeles after production on The Next Pro had already wrapped. A separate TikTok filmed around the studio added to the speculation that she was continuing to work with the franchise after the competition ended. If Adele won, that would make perfect sense because the champion’s prize is a professional dancer position on Season 35.

The timing is what makes the photographs difficult for fans to ignore. The Next Pro was pre-recorded, meaning the winner was determined long before viewers began watching the competition week by week. Someone connected with the production can therefore know the final outcome even though ABC will not televise it until August 31.

That is also why apparent production clues carry more weight here than they would on regular DWTS. The flagship show is largely live. The Next Pro’s ending has been sitting somewhere behind the scenes for months.

Has Adele actually made the finale?

Yes. Adele officially advanced to the final three alongside AJ Pritchard and Selena Hamilton after Allen Genkin was eliminated in the August 24 semifinals. That matters because the original spoiler theory surfaced before viewers knew whether Adele would even survive that far. Her semifinal result has now removed one obvious obstacle to the rumor being true.

Adele also gave the judges little reason to eliminate her. Her samba with Gleb Savchenko received exceptional feedback, with Kym Johnson saying it looked like a professional number that could appear on regular Dancing with the Stars. Mark Ballas considered it close to perfect, while Shirley Ballas called Adele a “masterpiece” even as she encouraged her to create more obvious camera-friendly moments.

Her foxtrot with AJ later strengthened her case even further. Shirley described Adele as representing the new generation of Dancing with the Stars, language that naturally sounds significant when the entire competition is trying to choose exactly that.

Related: Is Tatyana Ali Joining Dancing With the Stars Season 35? 

Do the studio photos prove Adele won?

No. They are evidence for a theory, not proof. There are plausible reasons Adele could have been around the DWTS studio without being the winner. The franchise was already preparing for Season 35, former contestants and professionals regularly interact with the production, and The Next Pro contestants may have had promotional or production-related obligations after filming.

ABC has not said the photographed appearance was a Season 35 rehearsal. Adele herself has not announced that she won, and the network has not revealed her as one of the Season 35 professionals.

Just Jared and Talent Recap have also highlighted the alleged spoiler, which means this is no longer a tiny fan theory circulating unnoticed online. But repeated reporting of the same photographs still does not turn the inference into official confirmation.

Is Adele the favorite even without the spoiler?

She has a very strong claim to that position. Adele entered the show with elite ballroom credentials, but her development as a teacher has mattered more than simply proving she can dance. Episode 6 showed her successfully coaching an amateur through an ambitious tango, while the semifinals demonstrated that her choreography can sit comfortably beside work from established DWTS pros.

AJ remains a serious threat because he has already spent years doing an equivalent job on Strictly Come Dancing. Selena has also surged at exactly the right time, earning some of the best feedback of her season during the semifinal.

That means Adele does not need the paparazzi theory to look like a potential winner. Her performances already put her there.

When will the real winner be revealed?

ABC will officially reveal the winner during the August 31 season finale. Adele, AJ and Selena will be paired with former Dancing with the Stars finalists Charli D’Amelio, Nev Schulman and Adam Rippon as they complete the final stage of the audition. Derek Hough joins Mark and Shirley Ballas on the judging panel, while Witney Carson co-hosts alongside Robert Irwin.

Until that episode airs, the most accurate answer is simple: Adele Zaikman may have been accidentally spoiled as the winner, but she has not officially won yet.

The studio photos become more intriguing now that she has survived to the final three, and Shirley’s “new generation” comment will only strengthen the theory. But if ABC wants the finale result to remain a surprise, there is still enough uncertainty surrounding those photographs to preserve it.