Dancing with the Stars Season 34 (2025) | The Ultimate Guide – From Cast Reveal to Mirrorball Glory, Voting, Winners, and Everything You Need to Know

“Dancing with the Stars” Season 34 ended on Nov. 25 with a huge 72 million live votes. Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson won the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after finishing the night with a score of 89/90. Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy came in second with a perfect 90/90, followed by Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa in third, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach in fourth, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten in fifth place.

Robert Irwin’s win was especially meaningful because he performed through a painful rib injury. Witney Carson revealed in a TikTok video that his ribs had been hurting all week. Both Robert and Witney said the long 11-week season was physically and emotionally draining, but they pushed through to the end.

For the first time in DWTS history, the finale included three new dances: a Judges’ Choice dance, an Instant Dance Challenge, and a freestyle routine. The night also featured many performances, including a big opening number to “Never Can Say Goodbye” by The Communards.

In Round 1, Alix and Val scored 30/30, while Robert and Witney earned 29/30. In Round 2, Alix, Dylan, Robert, and Jordan all received perfect scores, while Elaine and Alan scored 27/30. In the freestyle round, every finalist earned 30/30, and Alix Earle achieved perfect scores in all three rounds.

The finale also included special performances from Season 33 winners Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson. All eliminated contestants returned as well, including Andy Richter, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Hilaria Baldwin, Baron Davis, Scott Hoying, Corey Feldman, Lauren Jauregui, and Danielle Fishel, who came back to support the finalists.

There was also a live moment when judge Carrie Ann Inaba responded to a heckler who shouted while she critiqued Jordan Chiles. Alfonso Ribeiro smoothly moved things along by passing the commentary to Derek Hough.

Overall, Season 34 delivered drama, excitement, big performances, perfect scores, and record-breaking votes. The show also drew a younger audience thanks to several viral contestants, making it one of the most talked-about seasons in recent years.

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Dancing with the Stars Season 34 Premiere and Weekly Schedule

The new season began on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, airing live from 8–10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Some special episodes ran until 10:01 p.m.

Hosts and Judges

• Hosts: Alfonso Ribeiro & Julianne Hough
• Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli
• Guest Judge: Kym Johnson-Herjavec (finale)

Episodes streamed live on Disney+, and the next day on Hulu, making it easy to watch without cable.

Special Theme Nights

• TikTok Trends Week — Oct 7
• Disney Night — Oct 21
• Halloween — Oct 29
• One-Hit Wonders — Oct 28
• Prince Tribute Semi-Finals — Nov 18
• Finale — Nov 25 (three hours long)

The season averaged 8.5 million viewers, a 25% increase from last year.

DWTS Season 34 Schedule

Season 34 Cast: Celebrities and Pros

There were 14 celebrities, paired with 14 professional dancers. The cast mixed TikTok influencers, actors, athletes, singers, and reality stars. Robert Irwin was the first cast member announced on April 22, and the entire list was confirmed on September 3.

DWTS 2025 Cast Table

Spotlight: Popular Contestants

Alix Earle

Alix Earle was one of the biggest stars of the season. With millions of TikTok followers, she earned perfect scores in the finale and finished runner-up. Her routines went viral, and she said the show helped her gain confidence.

Elaine Hendrix

Elaine, known for The Parent Trap, became the oldest female finalist ever at 64. She reached the finale even after suffering a rib injury.

Robert Irwin

Robert Irwin carried on the Irwin family tradition. His sister Bindi won Season 21, and Robert followed with his own emotional and powerful routines. He danced through a rib injury and still won the Mirrorball Trophy.

DWTS 2025 Voting: How It Worked

DWTS uses a mix of:

• 50% judges’ scores
• 50% viewer votes

Fans voted through:

• The ABC app
• dwtsvote.abc.com (unlimited votes during the live window)
• Text voting (U.S. only): e.g., text ROBERT to 21523

Voting opened around 9:30 p.m. ET during each episode and closed before the results.
The finale reached 72 million votes, double last season.

Where to Watch DWTS 2025

DWTS aired on:

• ABC (Channel 7 in most areas)
• Disney+ (live streaming)
• Hulu (next-day episodes)

Other streaming options:

• Hulu + Live TV
• YouTube TV
• Fubo
• Sling TV

International viewers could watch on BBC iPlayer (UK) and Stan (Australia).

Eliminations: Week-by-Week

The season started with 14 couples and ended with 5 finalists.

Early Eliminations

• Week 1 – Andy Richter & Britt Stewart
• Week 2 – Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov
• Week 3 – Lauren Jauregui & Brandon Armstrong
• Week 4 – Hilaria Baldwin & Artem Chigvintsev
• Week 5 – Corey Feldman & Jenna Johnson
• Week 6 – Baron Davis & Alexis Ren
• Week 7 – Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold
• Week 8 – Jen Affleck & Sasha Farber
• Week 9 – Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas

Final Ranking

1. Robert Irwin & Witney Carson – 89
2. Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy – 90
3. Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa – 89
4. Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach – 88
5. Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten – 87

Finale Highlights (Nov 25, 2025)

The finale was three hours long and full of special performances.

Key Moments

• Group dances to “Never Can Say Goodbye”
• Season 33 winners Joey Graziadei & Jenna Johnson performed again
• Emotional freestyles by all finalists
• Robert Irwin dedicated his win to his father, Steve Irwin

Final Scores

• Robert Irwin & Witney Carson: 89
• Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy: 90
• Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa: 89
• Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach: 88
• Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten: 87

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson won after the massive 72M votes.

All-Time Winners: The Complete DWTS Champions List

Beyond the Finale | Tours and Season 35 Rumors

Robert’s win strengthens the Irwin family’s place in DWTS history. Witney got her first win since Season 19, and Val gained more praise as Alix Earle made it to runner-up.

The DWTS Live 2026 Tour starts January 2026 and will feature routines from Robert, Alix, and Jordan Chiles.

Season 35 Rumors: Sabrina Carpenter and Travis Kelce may join the cast.

DWTS continues to shine because of its mix of fun, emotion, competition, and unforgettable moments.