What To Know
- Robert Irwin revealed he is campaigning for his mother, Terri Irwin, to compete on Dancing With the Stars.
- Robert recently won Season 34 of DWTS, following in his sister Bindi Irwin’s footsteps.
- Terri Irwin supported Robert throughout the season, even joining him for an emotional dance, and expressed her pride and gratitude for the support he received.
After following in his sister Bindi Irwin‘s Dancing With the Stars footsteps, Robert Irwin is hoping another member of his famous family will compete on the ABC competition show.
“Listen, the petition to have my mom [Terri Irwin] on Dancing With the Stars has begun, and I started it,” Robert shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Monday, December 1. “I started this season, and she is firmly like, ‘Nope, I’m not doing it. That’s not for me.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I’m gonna wear you down,’ so let’s wear her down and get her on there, because I think she would be great.”
Robert continued, “I didn’t know I could dance, Bindi didn’t know that she could dance. We were able to dance and do this show, so that’s got to come from somewhere, right? Those dancing genes, I’m pretty darn sure they didn’t come from my dad [Steve Irwin]. I mean, he was a very athletic human being, but [had] no rhythm. So, I mean, I guess [we got them from my] mom. It must be. I mean, it’s only fair, right? She’s got to do it.”
Bindi famously competed on and won Season 21 of DWTS in 2015. Robert kicked off his own DWTS journey in September and went on to take home the Season 34 mirrorball trophy during the November 25 Finale.
Disney/Eric McCandless
Both Terri and Bindi — along with Bindi’s husband, Chandler Powell, and 4-year-old daughter, Grace — relocated from Australia to California to support Robert through the DWTS Season 34 competition. Terri even joined Robert on the ballroom floor for an emotional moment at the end of his and Carson’s Dedication Night contemporary routine. The dance sparked tears from Robert, Terri, and the DWTS judges.
“This dance is for my mom. It’s for all of the moms out there who don’t get the recognition they deserve. This is for the single parents who work so hard every day to put one foot in front of the other,” Robert said on the October 14 episode before receiving his scores. “It’s for anyone who’s lost someone, who feels lost. Keep going, and if you can, go call your mom and tell her that you love her.”
Terri continued to cheer on Robert throughout the remainder of the season and congratulated him on winning the competition via Instagram last month. “Congratulations Robert! Your passion, dedication, hard work, and kind heart got you to this point. A night you will remember forever,” she captioned pics from the Finale, including a photo of herself posing with Bindi and Robert as they held their respective mirrorball trophies.
“Thank you to everyone who supported Robert through this journey, and made us realise that even a zookeeper can learn to dance,” she continued. “Witney – you are now part of our family. God bless. I am so very proud of you, Robert. I know your dad is too. Wow!”
For a more extended celebration of two decades of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands now.