From wildlife warrior to ballroom star, Robert Irwin has swapped khakis for sequins on Dancing With the Stars.
Known for his endless energy, cheeky personality and of course his love for animals, the 21-year-old has now stepped into a whole new kind of spotlight.
Scroll on for the highlights from Robert’s Dancing With The Stars journey.
Week Ten- Prince Night
With three 10’s all round, Robert and Witney danced the Jive for Prince night.
“Pack it up everyone else. THIS IS MY MIRRORBALL WINNER,” a fan wrote.
Week Nine- Fox Trot Night
Carrie Ann Inaba called the routine “so powerful and profound.”
The judges revealed their scores, giving the couple a 10, resulting in a combined total of 40 out of 40.
Week Eight- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night
Robert danced alongside his pro partner, Witney Carson, to Icky Thump.
Robert and Witney received a total score of 38/40 with two 10s and three 9s.
Week Seven- Halloween Night
On Halloween night, Robert and Witney danced to Sweet Dreams Are Made of This by The Hampton String Quartet.
Carrie Ann scored them a 10, Derek 9, Cheryl 9 and Bruno 10.
Bruno gushed that Robert “literally killed the routine” and applauded the dance’s style, while Carrie Ann called him the leading man, completely in control on the floor.
Week Six – Wicked Night
On Wicked night, Robert and Witney danced to Dancing Through Life.
Robert’s high-energy performance, inspired by Jonathan Bailey’s Wicked character Fiyero, was packed with flips, kicks and even a cheeky worm that had the crowd cheering.
Judge Derek Hough praised him as someone “born to be a performer,” with all four judges awarding him a 9, giving Robert his highest score of the season so far with a total of 36 and placing him at the top of the leaderboard.
Week Five – Dedication Night
On the Dedication night of Dancing with the Stars, Robert Irwin delivered a deeply emotional routine dedicated to his mother, Terri Irwin, a tribute to her strength in raising their family after the death of his father, Steve Irwin.
He danced to You’ll Be in My Heart by Phil Collins and scored 35/40.
Week Four – Cha Cha
It’s Disney night on DWTS and Robert and Witney hit the dance floor with the cha-cha.
“It was clean, it was clear, it was sweet,” Derek said. “I liked it very, very much.”
The couple scored 22/30.
Week Three – Salsa
Carrie praised Robert, calling it a ‘great performance’ and awarding him an 8.
Derek commended his musicality but noted his movements felt a bit ‘rigid’ for a Salsa, drawing boos from the audience, before giving him a 7.
Bruno echoed Derek’s assessment, also giving him a 7, bringing his total score to 22/30.
Their salsa was performed to Million Dollar Baby by Tommy Richman.
Week Two – Tango
Carrie Ann awarded the pair an 8, while Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli both gave 7s, bringing the total to 22/30.
Combined with last week’s 32, the pair are currently sitting pretty at the top of the leaderboard.
Their tango number was performed to Move Your Body, and boy did they move! “Powerful,” the judges labelled his moves.
“Your charisma is off the charts.”
Week One – Jive
After the first week of dancing, Robert performed a jive number with partner Whitney Carson that wowed judges, scoring them the highest marks of the night.
10 years after Bindi hit the dance floor, winning season 21, it was Robert’s turn with the wildlfie warrior delivering the final performance of the night.
Their jive number was an Australian-themed performance with an Uluru backdrop.
When it came down to scoring, Robert and his partner Whitney Carson and Whitney Leavitt with partner Alan Bersten scored the highest marks of the night, with 15/20 each.
Judge Julianne Hough even shared that the wildlife warrior gave “the best first dance I’ve ever seen on the show.”
“BEST NIGHT EVER! Our first dance! I started my rehearsals without the slightest idea of how to dance and I am just so grateful to @witneycarson for being the most incredible teacher.
“This show means the world to me and I am pinching myself that I get to live out a childhood dream. And how special to have my family here to celebrate with me. Team IrWINit are here to bring passion and positivity into the ballroom! Week one done, onto the next! 🪩🙏”
Fans were quick to flock to the comments with support, “Just give him the award already. He’s won all of our hearts through and through. His dad would be so proud of what an amazing human being he’s grown up to be. 🔥🔥”
“Speaking on behalf of the entire human race- we all love you.”
“Take it all in, this was a dream of yours!!! Your Dad must be so happy!!!!,” another fan wrote.
In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Robert spoke about how he had dreamt of being on the show since Bindi won.
“I have so many memories of being there and watching [my sister, Bindi]. I was just in such awe. You know, she won with flying colours. So no pressure,” he shared.
“But I just want to follow in her footsteps and bring that kind of passion and energy into it. I don’t expect to do half the job she did. But it was like a little childhood dream that I’ve had for 10 years. It feels pretty wild that I’m finally fulfilling it.”
Keep an eye out on this page as we update you with Robert’s scores and performances week by week!
