Robert had planned to join Prince William in Brazil for the Earth Shot Prize, but had to turn down the opportunity because it clashed with his stint on DWTS.

He shares a passion for environmentalism with the royals, and they have previously rubbed shoulders at various events on the topic.

But the action didn’t end there on DWTS, as Robert also did another dance in an impressive double run on the night.

Because the show was marking its 20th birthday, all of the contestants did a relay dance with former Mirrorball champions. For the relays, one team danced to the first half of the song, and another jumped in for the second.

Robert did a jive with champion Xochitl Gomez for his second dance and won the round.

For the eighth week of the competition, the contestants honoured classics to pay tribute to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The wildlife warrior and his partner performed a red-hot Paso Doble to mark the occasion, to the White Stripes’ hit Icky Thump.

While everyone loved it, he said the footwork and wearing mesh for the routine made it incredibly difficult.

Despite this, the judges were so impressed that they gave them two tens and two nines, giving him an overall score of 38.

Bruno Tonioli said the “thunder from Down Under was unleashed”, and Derek Hough called him a “matador”.

While he had a hiccup during the routine, all of the judges loved it.

He also scored 38 during the previous week, after he delivered a spooky, yet sultry Argentine Tango to Sweet Dreams Are Made of This, by The Hampton String Quartet.

During the routine, the wildlife warrior played the conductor, who was in charge of bringing Witney back to life.

And once again, the judges were blown away.

“That first moment — the whole room went silent,” said Derek. “Well done, my man.”

The week before that, he blew the judges away with his Wicked performance, where he embodied the musical’s leading man, Prince Fiyero. During that week, the pair did a jazz routine to Dancing Through Life.

The judges were so taken aback that Derek told him to swap his hiking boots for dancing shoes.

“You were meant to be a performer,” he said.

Not only that, but he scored 36 out of 40, which is his best score of the season.

Even though he got top marks, fans were calling for him to be scored even higher, begging the judges to give him a perfect 10.

“What do the judges have against giving Robert a 10?” one wrote.

“Nahhh, this DESERVED at least one 10,” another added.

“How did he not get at least 1 ten??? He got no corrections or negative feedback? Like what does it take for a ten this season?” a third fumed.

The week before that, Robert, who’s tipped to win the entire competition, invited his mother, Terri, on the dance floor as part of the dedication night.

The mother and son, and Witney, performed an emotional contemporary routine to You’ll Be in My Heart.

After the routine, there was not a dry eye in the ballroom.

“[Your father is] looking at you, kid, and he’s smiling,” judge Bruno Tonioli said, wiping away tears. “You gave us all of your heart and soul. All I can say is this was the true expression of everlasting love.”

Derek, who danced with Bindi in 2015, also cried and said he was proud of the 21-year-old.

“The love I have for you family,” he began. “I just have so much love you guys. I’m so proud of you. I really am. Just you become such amazing man and the world needs the Irwin family.”

For their efforts, the trio scored 35 out of 40, scoring three nines and one eight.

Guest judge and DWTS champion Kym Johnson said Terri was a “remarkable woman”.

Carrie Ann Inaba told Terri that if she could have kids, she’d like them to be like her son.

A week before the heartfelt performance, Robert delivered a joyful cha cha during Disney week.

Continuing to impress with his talents, Robert and Witney danced to Try Anything from Zootopia.

Bruno praised his technique and gave him eight points, and Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek gave him sevens. Overall, he scored 22 points for the fourth week in a row.

While all of the judges enjoyed the performance, they encouraged him to work on his form.

Robert also surprised fans by making a major career announcement before taking to the dance floor.

Before his routine, he took a trip to Walt Disney Animation Studios to watch the second Zootopia film, and revealed that he’s voicing one of the characters!

Who, you might ask? A koala called Robert Furwin, who wears khakis.

“He looks just like me!” he gushed when he saw his character. “What an incredible year – I signed up to be part of Dancing with the Stars, and now, I get to be a part of a Disney film.

“The animals that people sometimes forget about are really celebrated in this film, and to be a part of a movie that is doing that, I’m so chuffed, that really means a lot.”

The week before that, he sent everyone into a frenzy with a sizzling salsa.

And fans went into overdrive when he removed his shirt in the second half of the performance.

Not only that, the judges were also flabbergasted!

Bruno said it was a “wonderful performance”, but agreed with Derek – his salsa was too rigid.

Despite this, he still scored 22 points, placing him third on the leaderboard.

This followed his impressive tango in week two to Move Your Feet, which saw Bruno compare him to Hugh Jackman.

“You’re a great dancer, you don’t need gimmicks, you’re good,” he beamed. Carrie Ann also praised him for his charisma.

That week, with a score of 22, he came equal first alongside The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Whitney Leavitt and Jennifer Affleck, and Olympic medallist Jordan Chiles.

The successful performance followed his cracking debut, where he performed a jive to Born To Be Wild, which nabbed him first place alongside Whitney.

Starting off with his signature khakis, he then shocked everyone by ripping his shirt open, revealing a colourful number underneath, in the same fabric as his partner’s ensemble.

“Honestly, I am so relieved, because listen, you had some big shoes to fill with Bindi, but you just didn’t just steal them, you owned those shoes, my friend,” Derek said in disbelief. It then cut to Bindi and Grace, who cheered.

“That was the best first dance I have ever seen on the show.”

Bruno agreed, saying it was “not good, but great”.

“Having the support tonight, having the best partner in the world, I’ve got my family in the audience, I’m doing this for them,” Robert gushed after his performance.

Just before his dancing debut, he shared a family photo with his sister Bindi, her husband Chandler Powell, their daughter Grace, and his mother Terri.

“The fam has arrived for the live show! Dancing with the Stars premier here we go🎉🎉🪩🪩🐊🐊,” he wrote on Instagram.

His first week on the show also marked a full-circle moment as Bindi also performed a jive for her breakout 10 years ago.

What has Robert Irwin and his family said about Dancing With The Stars?

A week before the 34th season aired, he shared his excitement over joining the competition.

“LET’S GO WITNEY!!! 🎉🐊🕺 I am so excited for this Dancing With the Stars adventure to begin ☺️,” he wrote on Instagram.

In a trailer for the upcoming season, Robert said: “I can handle a snake, but can I handle a salsa?”

On September 9, a week before his big dancing debut, Robert gave a glimpse inside his rehearsals with his professional dancer partner, Witney.

He shared a mirror selfie of them both smiling for the camera, as well as a video of them practicing a jump.

“Gettin into the groove,” he captioned the post.

Leading up to his debut, Terri Irwin also expressed her pride in her son and posted his professional photos.

In one, he’s holding a snake.

“Dancing With the Stars, but with a touch of wildlife conservation!🐍” she wrote.

His supportive family has rallied behind him, and Bindi revealed that she moved to the United States to support her younger brother.

“G’day, guys. I wanted to pop on here and share a little bit of a life update with you,” Bindi began. “We have officially moved to Los Angeles.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)

She then clarified that it’s only temporary.

“Not forever, for the next 3 months, Australia is it will always be home,” she continued.

“But we are here to support my incredible brother on Dancing with the Stars.”

This year also marks 10 years since Bindi competed on the show and took home the Mirrorball Trophy.

Speaking exclusively to People at the Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas, Robert said they felt no competition between each other.
Robert Irwin has kicked off rehearsals ahead of the launch show on September 16. (Credit: Instagram)
“There is no sibling rivalry,” he said. “It’s actually really nice. She has just said, ‘Go into this and make it your own.’ She said it’s going to be a completely different experience.”

The I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! host said being part of the American show brought back memories of watching his sister compete.

“I mean, I was there as a little 11-year-old kid with my little blonde bowl cut watching her and trying to support from the sidelines, and now Bindi is going to be there supporting me, and she’ll have a lot more dance wisdom than 11-year-old Robert,” he said. “I didn’t have much to bring to the table, but she does. She’s done it. She’s won it.”

Despite her success, he does not feel the pressure.

“I’m definitely going to be leaning on her a lot, as I have throughout my entire life, to be honest,” he said. “I think loss brings a family together like nothing else, and for us, for Bindi and me, we’ve always had each other’s backs through everything, and this is going to be no different. I feel very lucky that I’ve got her in my corner.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Derek Hough (@derekhough)

Who else is competing on Dancing with the Stars?

This season, Robert has some stiff competition!

On September 3, the show revealed the line-up of celebrities competing, and it’s a star-studded cast!

Robert will be going up against Andy Richter, Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui, Scott Hoying, Elaine Hendrix, Danielle Fishel, Corey Feldman, Dylan Efron, Alix Earle, Baron Davis, gymnast Jordan Chiles, Hilaria Baldwin, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Jennifer Affleck and Whitney Leavitt.
Bindi won the US series when she was just 17! (Credit: Getty)

Was Bindi ever frustrated with Robert for going on DWTS?

When the news was first announced about Robert joining the cast, sources speculated that Bindi’s nose was “slightly out of joint” that he had signed up to compete, as that had always been her big claim to reality TV fame.

Bindi was just 17 when she competed on the show in 2015. Partnered with professional dancer Derek Hough, she ended up being the winner.

“This was Bindi’s big win … her glory, and through no fault of her own, she was unable to continue building on the incredible momentum she got doing that show,” an industry insider said when Rob’s casting was first announced.

“She still gets fan mail from American viewers,” they added.

Thankfully, Robert’s latest comments indicate that this is not the case.
Robert Irwin is getting ready to compete on Dancing with the Stars US. (Credit: Instagram)
His casting in the US series’ 34th season was confirmed to much fanfare at an event in Los Angeles on April 23. The new Bonds underwear ambassador and currently single star appeared shirtless with a snake draped around his shoulders like a feather boa.

On Instagram, Bindi congratulated Robert on the news, explaining how excited she was to watch him on the dance floor. However, she couldn’t resist reminding him of the very big shoes he has to fill.

Along with a photo of her and Robert together in their Australia Zoo khakis, Bindi uploaded a throwback video from her own Dancing with the Stars stint.
A shirtless Robert Irwin got cosy with Dancing with the Stars host Julianne Hough at the cast announcement event. (Credit: Instagram)
“Can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I won,” she added in the caption.

Our source said it was “going to be hard” for Bindi to watch Robert out there performing.

“The show was her last big triumph and unlike anything she could ever top again,” the source continued. “It’s also a reminder of how much her health problems have set her back.”

Bindi has spoken openly about living with endometritis and the crippling pain she endured until she finally had surgery in 2023.

She was also rushed to surgery in Las Vegas last month and had to miss the Steve Irwin Gala. Taking to Instagram after the surgery, she revealed that her appendix was removed, she had 14 more endometriosis lesions taken out, and she had a hernia stitched up.