The Real Reason Witney Carson Skipped the DWTS Utah Tour Stop
Utah fans expecting Witney Carson at the Dancing With the Stars tour stop were left waiting — the pro skipped the shows for a previously booked Steve Irwin Gala performance with Robert Irwin and apologized on Instagram on Saturday.
If you were wondering why Witney Carson skipped the Dancing With the Stars tour stop in Utah, it wasn’t a snub. It was scheduling. Here’s what actually happened, plus where DWTS is headed next.
Why Witney missed Utah
On Saturday, May 2, Witney, 32, told fans on Instagram that she couldn’t make the Utah shows because she had already committed to perform at the Steve Irwin Gala with Robert Irwin — a booking she locked in last year.
"Utah peeps. I’m so sorry I can’t be there for the Utah shows... If I could be in two places at once I would be! I love you all so much!!"
Where she was instead: the Steve Irwin Gala
She spent the night at the gala with her husband, Carson McAllister, and their two kids — sons Leo (5) and Jet (2) — and shared clips from the event. The gala honors the late wildlife legend Steve Irwin, who died in 2006 after a stingray injury while filming a Great Barrier Reef documentary. Witney shouted out the Irwin family and called it an honor to be there.
How it fits with her DWTS tour stint
Witney had rejoined the Dancing With the Stars live tour as a special guest from April 21 to 30, dancing with her former partner Robert Irwin, who won the season 34 Mirrorball at 22. The Utah date overlapped with the gala — and the calendar gods are ruthless.
Back in November 2025 on Good Morning America, Robert explained that their freestyle at the end of their season was designed as a thank-you to everyone who followed their run — it had to land because it was their way of showing gratitude.
Winning hits different now
For Witney, this win felt different than her first Mirrorball back in 2014 with Alfonso Ribeiro (who now hosts the show). She was 19 then; at 32, celebrating with her husband and kids made it a whole new kind of special.
What’s next for DWTS
- Season 35 is officially on the way at ABC.
- First two celeb contestants announced: Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins.
- Robert Irwin will host a new spinoff, 'Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro,' aimed at finding the next pro for the main show.
- Judges for the spinoff: Mark Ballas and his mother, Shirley Ballas — a neat family pairing for ballroom die-hards.
- Premieres this summer.
- The format: 12 up-and-coming dancers move into one house and grind through a grueling audition process; the winner earns a pro spot on season 35.