Robert Irwin is not leaving the ballroom behind after winning Dancing with the Stars. The conservationist and television personality has landed a new role within the franchise, this time stepping away from the competition floor and into the host’s position.
According to ABC News, the Robert Irwin DWTS journey is expanding with Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, a new spinoff designed to find a professional dancer for Season 35. The announcement came just months after Irwin and partner Whitney Carson won Season 34 and took home the Mirrorball Trophy.
Robert Irwin’s DWTS Journey Continues With The Next Pro
The new series follows 12 up-and-coming dancers as they live together and compete through an intense audition process. Instead of celebrities learning ballroom dancing from scratch, these contestants already come with professional-level skills, and the eventual winner earns a coveted place as a pro on the main Dancing with the Stars series.
Irwin’s experience as a contestant gives him an unusual perspective as host. He has already experienced the pressure of weekly performances, judges’ critiques, and elimination nights, even if he readily admits he was not the professional in his partnership with Carson. The spinoff was also filmed near Australia Zoo, allowing Irwin to bring part of his familiar wildlife world into his newest television adventure.
His Ballroom Success Opened an Unexpected New Chapter
Three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas and his mother, longtime ballroom star Shirley Ballas, serve as judges, while familiar DWTS professionals rotate through the series as mentors and guest judges. That combination gives the competition a direct connection to the main show while focusing attention on dancers hoping to earn their first major opportunity within the franchise.
For Irwin, the hosting job marks another surprising turn in a career most closely associated with wildlife conservation and Australia Zoo. His sister Bindi Irwin previously won Dancing with the Stars as well, but Robert’s victory has now led to an even deeper relationship with the franchise. The Robert Irwin DWTS story has quickly gone from celebrity contestant to champion to host, giving him the chance to guide other performers chasing their own ballroom breakthrough.