OP-ED: Who Will Be the Season 34 Champion of Dancing with the Stars?!
This article was written prior to the episode that aired on November 11th, 2025.
The 34th season of Dancing with the Stars has taken the world by storm, surpassing 55 million votes in a single episode, the most votes ever recorded. The show regained popularity in 2022 when Charli D’Amelio won the coveted mirrorball trophy. Since then, DWTS has become increasingly popular, highlighting social media personalities, Grammy and Oscar award winners, and comedians. This season, several fabulous contestants have left the show because of the high amount of both competition and voter participation. Here, we will dive into the remaining contestants on the 34th season of Dancing with the Stars, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, and predicting who will be the ultimate winner of the show.
The remaining contestants on this season are Jordan Chiles, Andy Richter, Dylan Efron, Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Elaine Hendrix, and Whitney Leavitt. So far this season, the people’s choice has been Robert Irwin. Following in the footsteps of his sister Bindi Irwin (Season 21 Champion), Robert Irwin has made headlines for his innate talent in learning and performing intricate choreography with no prior dance experience. Both judges and voters have been praising his talents, making him an extremely strong contender for the mirrorball. Furthermore, Robert brings joy and child-like wonder to the dance floor, always cheering others on and staying positive no matter his scores. He has easily become a crowd favorite, and it is safe to assume that we will see Robert Irwin and his partner, Witney Carson, in the finale.
The people’s princess, Alix Earle, came into the show with competitive dance experience, but she had never danced with a partner or trained in ballroom before. Alix is known for her social media presence among college students and young adults, creating lifestyle content on both Instagram and TikTok. In the last few weeks, Alix’s talents have improved dramatically. Two weeks in a row, Alix and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, have scored 39/40 on their dances, receiving significant praise from the judges. Due to Alix’s social media presence and her showstopping routines, her appearance in the DWTS finale would not be shocking.
The underdog, Dylan Efron, has improved significantly in the last few weeks, coming from no dance experience in his life. Dylan and his partner, Daniella Karagach, have improved week after week, consistently fluctuating between the middle and top-middle of the leaderboard. Although he is not the objectively best dancer on the show, Dylan has put considerable effort into correcting the steps, making changes based on judges’ comments, and not giving up in rehearsals. However, I would not say Dylan is a shoo-in for the finale because I don’t think his scores alone will get him into the final. Because of this, he will need a significant amount of votes to secure a spot.
The Olympic gymnast, Jordan Chiles, has performed showstopping after showstopping routine. Her partner, Ezra Soza, is competing in his second season of DWTS, where last season he was eliminated in the first round. Ezra and Jordan have been extremely creative with their choreography, utilizing new props and methods to showcase all of Jordan's talents. Jordan’s scores have kept her in the middle of the pack, recently bumping her more towards the top of the leaderboard. If there are only four spots in the finale, I would not be shocked to see Jordan clutch that fourth spot. However, I think she and Ezra need to continue working and improving their dances in frame, as that is where they struggle the most. With that being said, both Ezra and Jordan have huge social media followings, so voters may be inclined to put them in the finale because of their love for these two individuals.
The shocker, Andy Richter, has made headlines for remaining on the show for 8 weeks straight. Traditionally, older contestants will be eliminated within the first three to four weeks because of their dance abilities and their lack of growth. However, that is not always the case. Barry Williams (69 at the time) and his partner, Peta Murgatroyd, lasted until week eight in Season 32, showcasing true improvement and dance skills throughout his time on DWTS. While Andy has not received scores worthy of continued performances, his fanbase has grown exponentially, giving him the encouragement and voting participation to continue his journey. While I doubt Andy will be seen in the finals, his dedication to continuing the show, learning the dances, and his positivity throughout all of it has been inspiring to many who never believed they would be able to be as active in their later age.
The surprise, Elaine Hendrix has defied all odds to continue on DWTS this season. After having an injury hours before showtime, her fanbase of voters kept her alive and pushed her through to the next week, despite not being able to compete that week. Elaine and her partner, Alan Berston, have improved significantly over their time in the ballroom, and Elaine has become a true contender in the show. She has a grace and poise about her dancing that makes it look quite flawless and graceful across the floor. Unlike Andy, Elaine’s scores have kept her in the middle of the leaderboard. These steady scores and her loyal fan votes have helped push her through week after week. Unfortunately, the caliber of dancers this season is very high and I doubt Elaine will get a chance to go to the finale, but I would love to see her in the semi-finales and continuing to dance until the last possible week.
The dancer, Whitney Leavitt, is a shoo-in for the finale, or is she? Whitney has had an amazing season so far, partnered with Mark Ballas, a three-time mirrorball champion. While Whitney has excelled in every aspect of the competition so far, her popularity seems to be declining. Whitney majored in dance, while in college, and has an extensive background in studying the art form. Although dancers have come on Dancing With the Stars before, her online feuds regarding her tv show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is also affecting her popularity. While she is winning the judges’ hearts, the fans may not be as fond of her, as she has appeared in the bottom three, two weeks in a row. While this may not be based on points, it does beg the question as to why production is placing her here. I have no doubt the judges' scores will carry her through to the finale, but how will the fans vote?
Now that we have recapped all of our contestants, it is time to predict our finalists and their rankings! If there are 5 finalists, as there have been the last few seasons, I suspect these finalists will be Jordan Chiles, Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Whitney Leavitt, and Dylan Efron, with their respective partners. In fifth place, I would put Dylan and Daniella. While they have grown so much, Dylan’s dance ability is simply not on par with the rest of the competition. In fourth place, I place Jordan and Ezra. They are very popular with the fans, so there may be a possibility for third, however, their performances over the entire season are not sticking out as top of the pack, and therefore, I do not think they will exceed third place. In third place (or possibly fourth) would be Alix and Val. While I love Alix and Val, I believe that the judges favor Whitney and Mark over them and Robert is a fan favorite, making them the most likely to be in the final two. However, I think these top three contestants are rather interchangeable.
I think Robert and Whitney will take home the mirrorball this season. Robert has both the judges and the fans on his side, which makes for all the points he needs to win. This means Whitney and Mark would be placed in the second place spot, and I think with a little more fan love for Whitney, she might also have a chance at the mirrorball. Well, there you have it. If you haven’t been keeping up with DWTS, here was your recap in a nutshell. Until next time.
Written by: Katie Elder
Edited by: Katie Breuche