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Robert Irwin, who was only three years old when his father Steve Irwin passed away, has often referred to his commitment to continuing the work and the spirit of his father. Despite the fact that he was extremely young, this commitment has remained strong throughout his life. The audience was highly emotional and one of the viewers wrote that, “Normally, when Whitney dances, I can hardly notice the other dancer as she is my favorite and absolutely mesmerizing. But that is not the case with you, Robert! You are a fantastic dancer! I was crying from the very start till the end.” This statement demonstrates that Robert’s performance…
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Dubbed “healing” and “profoundly significant” by the young conservationist and television personality, who even admitted to his sister Bindi’s prior performance of the same song, the event was indeed a major morale booster for him. He also acknowledged his sister Bindi’s past performance with the same song. Irwin’s dance received perfect scores from the judges and evoked a lot of emotional responses from the audience.
Professional ballroom dancer Witney Carson was Irwin’s partner in this amazing performance, accompanied by the song “Footprints in the Sand.” It was about leading and passing one’s legacy down through dancing. Irwin has often spoken of his determination to carry on the conservation work and the spirit of his father.
Viewers experienced a rollercoaster of emotions and even topped by one individual who said the dance had affected them in a very personal way, “Usually, when Whitney dances, I can scarcely see the other dancer because she is my favorite and absolutely mesmerizing. But that’s not the case with you, Robert! You are an incredible dancer! I was sobbing from the beginning to the end.” This certainly indicated that Robert’s performance was so strong that even when danced alongside a very talented dancer, his impact was not lost.
Another individual commented that the public image of Robert was related to the attention his dance partner was giving him and noted, “There has never been a dancer like Robert on this show. He is talented, charismatic, kind and generous, wholesomely sexy, sweet, earnest, great presence. We need more role models for young men to show them what being a man is all about this.” This statement, in a way, suggested that Robert Irwin indeed had more than just dancing skills to his credit.
The touching act of dancing and the emotional mourning it represented did not fail to attract sympathy from those who were children when Steve Irwin’s wildlife shows were on. A viewer commented, “Your dad was my first hero. The three of you, Bindi, your mom, and he, have kept his spirit so alive and tangible. Thank you.” Such legacy connections to the Irwin family were often found in reactions from different people and many even said they had been moved a lot by the performance while mentioning the crying at the end.
Tonight was healing. This dance was emotional, beautiful and so deeply meaningful. I carry Dad’s legacy with me in everything I do, and it was a privilege to dedicate our foxtrot to him. Thank you Bindi for inspiring us with your freestyle to this song, and thank you Witney for… pic.twitter.com/pGpWDktn6Z
— Robert Irwin (@RobertIrwin) November 12, 2025
The negative comments were few but they still existed; not everyone was impressed. One dissenting voice said, “I find you a little too dramatic and over the top…. just tone it down a little,” while another doubted the need to revitalize Steve Irwin’s memory considering the long time that has passed since his death. The few negative comments were not enough to silence the deluge of supportive messages.
The whole concept of competition made the performance even harder for judges to score, and so Robert’s name came up as the winner in the comments. “This trophy is yours, man! And great job! Your father must be very proud of you,” one fan enthusiastically exclaimed. Another brief yet powerful comment was, “You moved me to tears and you are really working hard and improving each week but you also feel the dance and music not many are doing that this season!”
There was some technical criticism, but at the same time, audience also heaped praise. A person was very glad to see the next week’s dance and said, “So looking forward to your dances next week. Only thing I can say is loosen up a bit maybe in the shoulders and neck. Only difference I see between you and the pros.” This perspective illustrated how Robert was acknowledged for improvement and also asked to work on certain areas.
When Bindi made her presence felt during the competition, it was as if the whole Irwin family that had always been in the audience was there with the powerful emotional layer. Robert expressed his gratitude to his sister for “inspiring us with your freestyle to this song,” and so the bond between them was clear as they were both dancing their way to their father. A viewer commented, “His family is so important to him; it defines who he is. He danced for his mom and for his dad. It didn’t take away from the fact that he is a great dancer.”
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The artists actually managed to go beyond just another competition piece when they took the viewer’s perspective. Like one person stated very succinctly, “Absolutely beautiful and made me cry there.” In a recent project, Robert Irwin has also been making headlines. He recently teamed up with Hilaria Baldwin for a fun video. He also shared an adorable dance practice with his niece Grace for DWTS.
