Robert Irwin wins Dancing with the Stars — a decade after sister Bindi
Robert Irwin lifted the trophy with his dance partner Witney Carson. (Getty Images: Eric McCandless/Disney)
In short:
Robert Irwin, son of the late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, has won Dancing with the Stars US.
His win comes 10 years after his sister, Bindi Irwin, won her season of the celebrity dance competition show.
Irwin beat fellow finalists including influencer Alix Earle and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, among others.
Robert Irwin has shimmied his way to victory and won the American version of Dancing with the Stars, lifting the coveted Mirror Ball trophy a decade after his sister won the same title.
Paired with professional ballroom dancer Witney Carson, the 21-year-old wildlife conservationist and presenter pulled off impressive choreography week after week to win the series — and the attention of international audiences.
Irwin battled four other celebrities and their partners in the finale: influencer Alix Earle, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, actor Elaine Hendrix, and Zac Efron's brother, Dylan Efron.
The marathon three-hour finale saw the five couples perform three dances, with the judges' overall scores and audience votes being combined to determine the winner.
Robert Irwin entered the finale with pain in his rib. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
Irwin went into the final with a rib injury, requiring Carson to adapt their choreography.
After receiving 29 points out of a possible 30 for his first dance, Irwin fought back to net a perfect score for his final two dances.
At the end of the night, Irwin was tied second on the leaderboard with Chiles, with an overall score of 89 out of 90, behind Earle's perfect score of 90.
As the audience votes were tallied, it was revealed Irwin and Earle were the top two contestants, with Irwin ultimately taking out the win.
The son of the late Steve Irwin cried after his final performance and said he wanted to make his dad proud.
"I wish he could see it, I really wish he could be here,"he said.
The American version of Dancing with the Stars is now in its 34th season. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
In 2015, Bindi Irwin won her season of the celebrity dance competition show when she was just 17.
Dancing with the Stars, now in its 34th season, averaged about 6 million same-day viewers, according to Nielsen data, with the biggest gains this year among younger audiences.
Irwin's weekly performances also racked up millions of views on YouTube — dwarfing those of his competitors.
The win marks yet another highlight in Irwin's meteoric rise.
Swapping the zoo for the ballroom
Irwin's debut on the Dancing with the Stars stage was quintessentially Australian — and quintessentially Irwin.
Dressed in his signature khaki, Irwin crouched on the hood of a 4WD with a pair of bedazzled binoculars as a kookaburra's call rang out.
Suddenly, he leapt into the air, ripped off his khaki shirt and broke out into a jive to Steppenwolf's Born to be Wild.
Robert Irwin surprised audiences with his skills during his debut performance. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
Over the course of the competition, Irwin and Carson tackled a technically difficult tango, a sultry salsa and a Wicked-inspired jazz routine to the musical's hit Dancing Through Life.
But Irwin's family ties became more prominent as the competition progressed.
For "dedication night", Robert paid tribute to his mother Terri Irwin, who raised Robert and Bindi after Steve Irwin's death in 2006.
Performing an emotional contemporary routine to You'll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins, a moment of strategic camera work saw Carson slip away, only to seamlessly be replaced by Terri.
Robert Irwin dedicated one performance to his mum, Terri Irwin, who joined him on stage. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
"My mum and dad were just … the ultimate team," Irwin said post-show, choking up when talking to Entertainment Tonight.
"They created something so much bigger than themselves. In their love and passion, they created a legacy that I get to continue.
"My mum and her strength … that's the reason why I'm here. I can not even imagine — I can't put into words — how proud my dad would be of her.
"And I truly feel in some way, I don't know how, but I really feel in some way … that he's here in some way. And I hope he's proud."
Steve Irwin died in 2006 from a stingray injury he sustained while filming a documentary. (Supplied: Australia Zoo)
Weeks later, Irwin paid tribute to his late father with a foxtrot to Footprints in the Sand by Leona Lewis — the same song Bindi Irwin used for a similar tribute during her time on the show years earlier.
Bindi herself joined the pair on stage before a montage of Steve Irwin with a baby Robert was projected onto the dance floor, prompting Robert to break down.
The dance earned Irwin 10s across the board from the judges to net his highest score at the time — a perfect 40.
Robert Irwin dedicated a performance to his late father, and was joined by sister Bindi on stage. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
Afterwards, Irwin called the performance "healing".
"I carry Dad's legacy with me in every I do," he wrote on Instagram.
"I'm a proud Wildlife Warrior, and I'll always carry on my dad's mission."
A new era
Winning the hit American dance competition is yet another boon for Irwin's burgeoning career.
In 2024, he was announced as the new co-host of I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!
The move saw the then-20-year-old replace Dr Chris Brown and host the series alongside veteran presenter Julia Morris.
Only months later, he bagged a Gold Logie nomination, making him the youngest male nominee for the award — though he would miss out to television mainstay Larry Emdur.
Robert Irwin has previously said he is excited to embrace a new era. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
Earlier this year, Irwin's Bond's campaign — which saw the star posing in only his underwear with various Australian reptiles — went viral.
"The defining moment I think for me when people kind of had an optical shift in the view of 'Robert Irwin' was when I got my kit off, got my gear off and did that ad," he told People in September.
"All of a sudden, people kind of didn't know how to react. I had people coming up to be like, 'that's … good for you!?' Mostly my family!
"But it's a new era, I want to embrace that I'm all grown up."