Adele Zaikman has been crowned the first-ever winner of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro and will be taking the ballroom floor on season 35.
“I think she’s one of the best Latin dancers we’ve had on the show. Full stop,” executive producer Conrad Green told Deadline in August 2026. “A lot of our dancers come from ballroom competition to a degree, but they’ve also done lots of other things, and I think that those are areas that are going to be more of a challenge for Adele coming on the show.”
He concluded: “But, in terms of ballroom Latin competition dancing, she’s one of the best dancers we’ve had on the show. I mean, Dani [Karagach] is probably the most similar to her in that they both — her and Pasha [Pashkov] — came from competition. She’s got an incredible charisma.”
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Adele Zaikman Will Be On ‘DWTS’ Season 35
Adele earned her spot on Dancing With the Stars season 35 after winning The Next Pro spinoff. Her partner will be announced on the Wednesday, September 2, episode of Good Morning America alongside the full cast of pros and celebrities.
Derek Hough Called Adele Zaikman a ‘Rolls Royce’
While appearing on Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Adele was referred to as a Rolls Royce by guest judge Derek Hough because she “danced expensive.”
Adele Zaikman Has Been Open About Her Scoliosis Diagnosis
In the finale of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Adele became emotional while discussing a health challenge that shaped her career.
“It’s crazy because dance has always been my therapy. When I was 13, I got scoliosis in my back and I had to wear a brace for 2.5 years for 20 hours every single day,” she said. “The doctors said if I wouldn’t do it, I would not be able to dance. So these four hours that I was not wearing it, I was dancing. They were the happiest hours of my life. It saved me and I don’t know what I would do if I wouldn’t have dance.”
Adele Zaikman Hit Back at Claim She Has ‘No Personality’
Adele took to her Instagram Story in August to respond to a user who accused her of showing little emotion during Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.
“Just because there are introverted people in this world, doesn’t mean they have no personality,” she wrote. “Personality shines brightly on the dance floor, and that’s what matters. Being a good and humble person — that’s the kind of personality we want our role models to have.”
Adele said she would “always advocate for people who are slower to open up or [are] more private.”
“I know how lonely it can feel,” she noted. “There is a place for everyone in this world, and you should never feel like there’s something wrong with you for being that way — but once I open my heart, it speaks louder than words.”
Adele Zaikman Won Blackpool in 2022
Adele took home the winning title at the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival, held in Blackpool, England in 2022. She previously placed third at the festival in 2019.
