Robert Irwin will perform a dance in homage to one of Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough’s Dancing With the Stars’ freestyle performances.

Robert Irwin is set to honour Bindi on Dancing With The Stars after fans were left disappointed the siblings wouldn’t dance together on the show. Photo: Instagram/robertirwinphotography and bindisueirwin

Robert Irwin has revealed that he and his Dancing With the Stars partner Witney Carson will be performing two dances this week, one of which will be “an homage” to a performance his sister Bindi gave during her time on the show. The dance is to ‘Footprints in the Sand’, which Bindi famously dedicated to their late dad, Steve Irwin, 10 years ago.

The remaining couples on the show will be reinterpreting a freestyle dance from a previous season, and Robert and Witney will do a Foxtrot to the Leona Lewis song. Bindi, who was partnered with Derek Hough (a current judge on the show) during her season, scored 10s across the board for the emotional performance, so no doubt Robert and Witney will be hoping for something similar.

Derek famously surprised Bindi at the end of their dance with a photo of her and Steve, which caused the then-17-year-old (and everyone in the audience) to be overcome with emotion.

Bindi and her daughter Grace joined Robert and Witney in the studio this week to help them prepare for their Foxtrot. Photo: Instagram/bindisueirwin

Robert shared he was very excited for viewers to see what he and Witney had in store this week.

“This week is a tough one, because we’ve got two dances, it’s going to be really special,” Robert said on Instagram.

“To do a Foxtrot to ‘Footprints in the Sand’ – of course, my sister’s dance that she did with Derek on Season 21 – she’s such a big reason as to why I’m here doing this.”

Robert added that he’s appreciated being able to get Bindi’s advice when she visits the dance studio, saying she has “amazing gems of wisdom”.

Bindi commented on one of Robert’s posts, saying that it’s been “so wonderful to visit you guys for rehearsals”.

“Your dance this week is going to be so incredibly special. Can’t wait to cheer for you both,” she added.

Fans are certain that the performance will leave them in tears, with one person writing, “You’re going to make us all cry again.”

“I am so looking forward to this week’s dance,” another said.

“I admire both you and your sister and I know this dance is going to be one to set off the water works.”

“I already know I’m going to cry,” wrote a third.

Robert Irwin fans disappointed he’s not dancing with Bindi on Dancing With the Stars

However, many fans were left disappointed when it was announced that each of the contestants on Dancing With the Stars would perform with a former winner, and Robert’s partner wasn’t Bindi.

Robert has instead been partnered with Xochitl Gomez, who won the show in 2023.

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When Dancing With the Stars announced Robert and Xochitl’s partnership, fans were divided.

“Waiiiiit! I thought he’d have Bindi!?” one sad fan commented.

“I thought it would be his sister bindi, that would be a great trio dance,” another said.

However, many others were excited to see Xochitil back on the show, with one fan joking that they “prayed for times like this”.

“I’m super happy about this pairing!” another agreed. “I feel like having him dance with Bindi would have given him an unfair advantage even though it would have been so sweet!”

Others said they were “surprised” by the news, but weren’t “mad about it”.

Robert said that the dance Witney has planned for them this week “is a really fun one”, but he didn’t want to give too much away.

“It’s a very different vibe, really cool, and it’s definitely been one of those weeks, where we just have to reach a new level,” he shared.

“We want to take you guys on the journey with us, and we want you to feel all of the emotions, all of the joy, and to really tell a story through these dances.”