Dancing With the Stars Season 34 Finalists fly to NYC for GMA appearance

When the final curtain came down on Dancing With the Stars Season 34 on the evening of November 25, 2025 — with champion crown awarded to Robert Irwin and his pro partner Witney Carson — the competition didn’t end.

Within hours, the top finalists boarded flights from Los Angeles to New York City to appear live the next morning on Good Morning America (GMA).

The lineup included not only the new champions but also pro dancers and celebrities from the final five. The trip underscored how the journey on Dancing With the Stars continues even after Mirrorball trophies are handed out.

Dancing With the Stars Season 34: From the finale to the NYC Runway

Robert and Witney were crowned with the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after a three-hour final full of energy and extremely close competition. Robert became the second contestant in his family to win, following a win by his sister Bindi Irwin in Season 21.

The very next morning, the entire finalist cast — winners and runners-up — touched down in New York for a live appearance on Good Morning America.

The “DWTS After Party” on GMA featured dance segments from pro dancers: Carson, Chmerkovskiy, Bersten, Sosa, and Karagach showcased their skills first.

Then, Robert Irwin appeared alongside Alix Earle, Elaine Hendrix, Jordan Chiles, and Dylan Efron, giving fans a final collective moment with the Season 34 stars.

Robert went up to talk about his experience, his win, and the physical cost: "It hurts, but, you know, no pain, no gain, but it is all good,” he said, citing a rib injury he had sustained before the finale.

Nevertheless, he and Carson managed to push through, improvising choreography at the last moment and providing a strong, refined conclusion.

Carson reflected on the victory’s significance, especially coming more than a decade after her first Mirrorball win in Season 19. 

“The first time I won, I was 19 years old, and now I’m 32 … and then the fact that Alfonso gave me the Mirrorball, it’s kind of like, really full circle for me,” she said.

Meanwhile, Alix Earle called her DWTS journey a “humbling process,” admitting the weekly performances — often in front of thousands — required confronting fear she hadn’t known before: 

“It was really scary for me at first to go out there every week and dance in front of this many people — or dance in front of even one person … That journey and that growth along the way has meant a lot.”

That morning’s live segment offered a chance not only to celebrate the winners, but also to underscore the emotional and physical demands every finalist endured — and to remind viewers that Dancing With the Stars remains as much about growth and grit as it is about glamour and trophies.

Finalists, fans & the fast-track back to reality

The rapid coast-to-coast journey of the finalists — from a Los Angeles stage to a New York morning show — illustrates the machine behind modern televised competitions.

For some — like Irving and Carson — the trophy provided closure. For others — Earle, Hendrix, Chiles, Efron, their pro partners and fans — the appearance signalled a moment of appreciation, transition, and perhaps the start of what’s next.

The finale had featured three rounds: a judges’ choice dance, an instant dance challenge, and a freestyle performance. But the GMA morning show reminded everyone that Dancing With the Stars isn’t just about one night of wins or losses. It’s about a season: weeks of challenge, rehearsal, nerves, growth — and relationships forged under pressure.

In its 34th season, Dancing With the Stars delivered all that, then extended the journey — across coasts, across screens, from ballroom to breakfast television.

Stay tuned for more updates.