Dancing with the Stars 2025 delivered a memorable 34th season as the long-running dance competition celebrated its 20th anniversary. The season brought together athletes, actors, musicians, reality stars and social media personalities, creating a cast with very different backgrounds and fan bases.
By the end of the competition, Robert Irwin and professional dancer Witney Carson had taken home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. Their victory became one of the defining moments of the season, especially because Robert followed his sister Bindi Irwin, who won the competition in 2015.
Season 34 was about much more than the final result, however. The cast produced several surprising performances, established professionals returned to the ballroom, fan voting played an important role, and the show’s anniversary gave the entire season additional significance.
When did Dancing with the Stars 2025 start?
Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars premiered on September 16, 2025. The launch marked two decades since the original series first premiered in 2005.
The season began with 14 celebrity contestants paired with professional dancers. ABC and Disney+ carried the live competition, while Hulu offered episodes for streaming after their television broadcast.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returned as hosts, continuing the familiar presentation that viewers had seen in recent seasons. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough made up the judging panel.
The combination of familiar hosts and judges with a new group of celebrities helped Season 34 balance the show’s history with a more modern celebrity lineup.
Who won Dancing with the Stars 2025?
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson were crowned the winners of Dancing with the Stars 2025.The pair won the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during the Season 34 finale on November 25, 2025. They finished ahead of four other finalist couples:
- Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
- Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
- Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
- Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
- Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
Irwin’s victory was especially memorable because his sister, Bindi Irwin, had previously won Dancing with the Stars in Season 21 in 2015 with Derek Hough.
That meant the Irwin family had two winners separated by exactly 10 years, giving Robert’s championship a unique place in the show’s history.
Why Robert Irwin became the standout contestant
Robert Irwin entered the ballroom with plenty of public recognition, but he was not a professional dancer. He was already known for wildlife conservation work, television appearances and photography before joining the competition.
His partnership with Witney Carson gave viewers an opportunity to watch him develop throughout the season.
One of the most appealing parts of his journey was the visible improvement from week to week. He had to learn choreography, adapt to different dance styles and perform under the pressure of judges’ scores and audience voting.
Carson also brought considerable experience to the partnership. Her ability to create routines around Irwin’s strengths helped turn their partnership into one of the central stories of Season 34.
The family connection added another emotional layer. Bindi Irwin’s earlier victory was already a popular part of the franchise’s history, so Robert’s participation naturally attracted additional interest.
His run to the championship therefore combined several elements that work well in a reality competition: personal growth, an established family connection, a strong professional partnership and an enthusiastic personality.
Dancing with the Stars 2025 cast
The Season 34 cast was one of the show’s most varied in recent years.
The celebrities included Robert Irwin, Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles, Dylan Efron, Elaine Hendrix, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Hilaria Baldwin, Danielle Fishel, Scott Hoying, Lauren Jauregui, Corey Feldman, Baron Davis and Andy Richter.
Their backgrounds ranged from Olympic sports and acting to music, reality television, comedy and social media.
Jordan Chiles entered the ballroom as an Olympic gymnast, giving the season a contestant with extensive athletic experience. Alix Earle brought a large social media following, while Dylan Efron entered with reality television experience.
Elaine Hendrix represented a long-established acting career, and Scott Hoying brought a connection to the music world through Pentatonix.
Other contestants appealed to television and reality audiences, making the overall cast broad enough for viewers with very different interests.
That variety became one of the main strengths of Dancing with the Stars 2025. Instead of relying on one type of celebrity, the show created several different reasons for viewers to become invested.
Alix Earle became one of the season’s biggest names
Alix Earle was one of the most recognizable contestants among younger digital audiences.
Her participation demonstrated how significantly the definition of celebrity has changed since Dancing with the Stars first premiered. A contestant no longer needs to have a traditional television or movie career to arrive with a large and highly engaged audience.
Earle’s partnership with Val Chmerkovskiy created one of the season’s most closely followed pairings.
Her existing social media audience also helped bring conversations about the show outside traditional television coverage. Performances could be discussed online immediately, while fans could follow the competition through multiple platforms.
This is increasingly important for long-running television programs. Social media gives contestants another way to build momentum and gives audiences more opportunities to participate in the season.
Jordan Chiles brought Olympic experience to the ballroom
Jordan Chiles was another major figure in Season 34.
As an Olympic gymnast, Chiles already understood performance under pressure, intense training and competition. Those skills could help in the ballroom, although ballroom dancing requires a different set of techniques and performance abilities.
Her partnership with Ezra Sosa also attracted attention because Sosa was among the professional dancers helping guide a celebrity through the demands of the competition.
Chiles’ journey showed that athletic experience can be an advantage without making success automatic. Each contestant still has to learn choreography, develop performance quality and connect with the audience.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
Whitney Leavitt became one of the season’s most discussed contestants, particularly among reality television viewers.
Leavitt was known from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and entered the competition with an established audience. She was paired with Mark Ballas, a professional dancer with a long history on the show.
Ballas’ return was itself a notable development. He is a three-time Mirrorball Trophy winner and had previously stepped away from regular competition before returning for Season 34.
The partnership therefore combined a familiar professional with a newer reality-TV personality.
Leavitt and Ballas advanced deep into the competition but were eliminated in the semifinals. Their exit was one of the more surprising moments of the season because they had developed a strong following and remained competitive late into the show.
What happened in the Dancing with the Stars 2025 finale?
The Season 34 finale took place on November 25, 2025.
The final five couples had to demonstrate how far they had progressed since the beginning of the season. The finale featured multiple performance opportunities, including a judges’ choice routine, an instant dance and a freestyle.
The format gave the finalists a chance to demonstrate different aspects of their dancing rather than relying on one familiar routine.
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson ultimately came out on top.
Their victory completed a season-long progression that had taken Irwin from a television personality with little ballroom experience to the winner of one of the most recognizable dance competitions on television.
For Carson, the win was also a major career milestone. She had previously won the Mirrorball Trophy with Alfonso Ribeiro in Season 19, meaning her Season 34 victory gave her another championship.
The 20th anniversary made Season 34 special
The 2025 competition arrived at an important moment for the franchise.
Twenty years earlier, Dancing with the Stars had premiered with a format that was relatively simple: pair celebrities with professional dancers and have them compete through choreographed routines.
The concept remained recognizable in 2025, but the celebrity landscape had changed dramatically.
Modern contestants can build audiences through Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, streaming services and reality television in addition to traditional film and television.
Season 34 reflected that change.
At the same time, the anniversary allowed the series to celebrate its history. Previous winners such as Bindi Irwin, Charli D’Amelio and Xochitl Gomez are part of a long list of celebrities who have become associated with the Mirrorball Trophy.
Professional dancers such as Derek Hough, Mark Ballas and Witney Carson have also become recognizable television personalities in their own right.
Fan voting played an important role
Audience voting has always been an important part of Dancing with the Stars, but modern technology has made fan participation easier to follow.
Viewers can watch a performance live, discuss it online and support their favorite couple through voting. This creates a competition that extends beyond the ballroom itself.
The 2025 season showed how important those fan communities can become.
A celebrity’s existing audience may help keep a couple in the competition, while strong performances can introduce a contestant to viewers who were unfamiliar with them before the season began.
This combination of judges’ scores and audience support is one reason the show’s results can sometimes surprise viewers.
The professional dancers remained essential
While celebrities receive most of the attention, professional dancers remain the foundation of the competition.
They are responsible for creating choreography, teaching dance techniques and helping their partners prepare for live performances.
They also have to adapt routines to each celebrity. A professional dancer cannot simply create a routine for an experienced dancer and expect the same result from someone who has never performed ballroom choreography.
Witney Carson’s work with Robert Irwin became the clearest example of that process during Season 34.
Other professionals, including Val Chmerkovskiy, Daniella Karagach, Alan Bersten, Ezra Sosa and Mark Ballas, also shaped some of the season’s most memorable partnerships.
What made Dancing with the Stars 2025 successful?
The success of the season can be connected to several factors.
First, the casting strategy gave different groups of viewers someone to follow. Sports fans had Jordan Chiles, social media audiences had Alix Earle, reality television viewers had Whitney Leavitt and Dylan Efron, while longtime television and music fans could connect with other members of the cast.
Second, the season had a strong anniversary hook. Celebrating 20 years gave the competition a reason to look back while still introducing new personalities.
Third, the show continues to benefit from the combination of live television and online conversation. Viewers can experience the competition in real time and immediately discuss performances and results.
Finally, Robert Irwin’s eventual victory gave the season a compelling ending.
What happened after the 2025 season?
The franchise continued expanding in 2026 with Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.
Unlike the main competition, the spinoff focused on emerging professional dancers. Twelve dancers competed for the opportunity to join the professional lineup of the main series.
Robert Irwin hosted the spinoff, while Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas served as judges.
The concept offered viewers a different perspective on the franchise. Instead of watching celebrities learn ballroom dancing, audiences could see professional dancers compete for an opportunity to join the main show.
Adele Zaikman ultimately won The Next Pro and earned a professional position for Season 35.
That development is significant because it shows that the franchise is becoming more than an annual celebrity competition. It is also creating opportunities to introduce new professional talent to its audience.
How Season 35 follows Dancing with the Stars 2025
The 2026 season continues several of the ideas that made Season 34 successful.
Season 35 is scheduled to launch with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, 2026, on ABC and Disney+, with streaming availability through Hulu.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as hosts, while Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough return to the judging panel.
The cast once again mixes established entertainment names with personalities from different areas of popular culture.
Among the announced celebrities are Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr., Tatyana Ali, Giada De Laurentiis and Taylor Hanson.
Adele Zaikman also joins the professional lineup after winning The Next Pro.
This creates a direct connection between the 2025 season, the 2026 spinoff and the next main competition.
Why Dancing with the Stars 2025 still matters
For people searching for Dancing with the Stars 2025, the central result is clear: Robert Irwin and Witney Carson won Season 34.
But the season’s lasting importance comes from the wider story.
It demonstrated that a long-running television franchise can remain relevant by combining its established format with newer forms of celebrity and audience engagement.
The cast included athletes, actors, musicians, reality stars and social media personalities. The 20th anniversary connected the season to two decades of television history, while the strong fan response helped create momentum for what came next.
Robert Irwin’s victory also gave the season a memorable family storyline. His sister Bindi had already won the competition, and Robert’s championship a decade later created a rare connection between two members of the same family.
Key takeaways
The biggest result from Dancing with the Stars 2025 is Robert Irwin and Witney Carson’s Mirrorball victory.
Season 34 premiered on September 16, 2025, featured 14 celebrities and concluded with a November 25 finale.
The season stood out because of its 20th-anniversary celebration and its diverse celebrity lineup. Olympic athletes, actors, musicians, reality stars and digital personalities all competed within the same format.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas also became a major storyline before reaching the semifinals, while Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles and other contestants helped maintain attention throughout the season.
The franchise then expanded in 2026 through The Next Pro, giving emerging professional dancers a new path into the main series.
Conclusion
Dancing with the Stars 2025 was a significant season for one of television’s longest-running celebrity competitions.
Season 34 celebrated the show’s 20th anniversary while introducing a diverse group of contestants with audiences across sports, entertainment, reality television and social media.
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson ultimately claimed the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, giving the season a memorable conclusion. Robert’s victory was even more significant because his sister Bindi Irwin had won the competition 10 years earlier.
The season also demonstrated how the franchise continues to evolve. Its combination of live television, streaming, fan voting, social media and professional-dancer expertise gives it several ways to connect with modern audiences.
With the 2026 professional-dancer spinoff and Season 35 continuing the competition, the legacy of Dancing with the Stars 2025 extends beyond its finale.
For viewers looking back at Season 34, the key memories are the 20th-anniversary celebration, a diverse cast, strong professional partnerships and Robert Irwin and Witney Carson’s championship run.
FAQs
Who won Dancing with the Stars in 2025?
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson won Season 34 and took home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
When did Dancing with the Stars 2025 premiere?
Season 34 premiered on September 16, 2025, as the show’s 20th-anniversary season.
Who was Robert Irwin’s partner on Dancing with the Stars?
Robert Irwin was partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson.
How many celebrities competed in Dancing with the Stars Season 34?
Fourteen celebrities competed when Season 34 began.
When was the Dancing with the Stars 2025 finale?
The Season 34 finale took place on November 25, 2025, when Robert Irwin and Witney Carson were crowned champions.
