If you haven’t caught up yet, Robert Irwin has been making headlines. He’s been participating in this year’s season of Dancing with the Stars in the US.
The season kicked off with performances like ‘Born to be Wild’ and offered glimpses of new characters in upcoming Disney films, including Zootopia 2. Last week’s episode certainly kept viewers on the edge of their seats.
However, this week, emotions ran high as fans were touched by a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Terri Irwin.
“She was there. That was enough.”
This week’s theme for DWTS was Dedication Night, where each celebrity dedicates their performance to someone special in their life.
While many chose friends or siblings as their honorees, Robert felt it was only right to honor his mother, Terri.
“I want to dedicate this dance to my mother,” he said during the fifth week’s episode.
“She’s an absolute hero to me. I lost my dad when I was just two, and as I grew up, I realized how tough it must have been for her to keep our family together and carry on my dad’s legacy,” he shared.
Robert and his partner, Whitney Carson, performed a contemporary dance to Phil Collins’ ‘You’ll Be in My Heart.’ This song was written for the 1999 movie Tarzan and was dedicated to Collins’ daughter, Lily.
The performance concluded in an emotionally charged moment as Terri joined Robert on the dance floor, both in tears. It was hard to find anyone in the audience who wasn’t moved.
Robert remarked through tears, “I’ve never been able to express my gratitude until now.” He added, “At every milestone, I wished my dad was there. She was there. That was enough.”
“You gave us your whole heart and soul.”
The emotions really flowed during his and Whitney’s dance. Bruno Tonioli, one of the judges, commented, “You gave us your whole heart and soul.”
All four judges praised the performance, highlighting its emotional depth. Bindi Irwin, who once dedicated a song to her father during the show’s 2015 finale, watched from the audience with her husband, Chandler Powell.
The dance earned a score of 35 out of 40, marking it as a strong performance that placed second on the leaderboard.
Interestingly, Robert shared the spotlight with influencer Alix Earle and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy. They were only a point behind Dylan Efron and Daniela Karagach, who had also dedicated their dances to younger sisters.
Fortunately, at the end of the episode, it was announced that no one would be eliminated, allowing Robert to continue for at least another week.
It seems Robert is making a name for himself, even starring in The Secret Life of Mormon Wives with Whitney Leavitt.
