“Dancing With the Stars” will expand its empire launching a new spinoff to find its next professional dancer this summer.
The spinoff “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” will feature fresh ballroom talent, competing for a chance to take their talents to the ballroom for the ABC competition series’ 35th season.
The up-and-coming professionals will live in a house together and compete in a grueling audition process week after week. The series will reportedly air this summer on ABC and Hulu.
ABC declined to comment to TheWrap.
Wildlife conservationist and Season 34 winner Robert Irwin is in talks to host the series, but nothing is official just yet. Mark Ballas and his mother Shirley are being eyed to judge the series.
Mark won “DWTS” three times as a pro, most recently with Charli D’Amelio and competed on the series for 21 seasons. His mother Shirley is professional ballroom dancer in her own right, known as “The Queen of Latin.” She served as the head judge on BBC One’s “Strictly Come Dancing” since 2017.
There will also be a third rotating judge’s slot that will allow more members of the “DWTS” franchise to give their two cents on their future collaborator.
Both Ballases have reality competition experience outside of “DWTS.” Mark is currently appearing on Season 4 of “The Traitors,” while Shirley appeared on “Celebrity Bear Hunt” just last year.
Several professional dancers on the ballroom show were discovered on “So You Think You Can Dance,” including Witney Carson, Jenna Johnson, Lindsay Arnold, Alan Bersten and Ezra Sosa.
This new spinoff will likely emulate the Fox dance reality program but catered specifically for ballroom performers.
“Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” will be produced by BBC Studios.
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