10 years ago in 2015, Bindi Irwin competed on – and won- Dancing With The Stars. Now, her younger brother Robert is a front runner on the show.
Partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson, Robert has quickly become a fan favorite, impressing the judges week after week—an especially remarkable achievement given that he joined Dancing with the Stars with no previous dance experience.
After topping the leaderboard on premiere night, Robert has remained a steady presence near the top of the rankings, earning accolades for both his growing skill and his undeniable charisma on the dance floor.
The entire Irwin family has temporarily moved to Los Angeles to cheer him on each week. Bindi, her husband Chandler Powell, their daughter Grace, and Robert and Bindi’s mother Terri Irwin have become familiar faces in the ballroom audience, proudly supporting Robert’s journey every step of the way.
Terri even joined him on October 14th for his “Dedication Night” performance, where he delivered a heartfelt contemporary routine to Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be In My Heart.”
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Robert Shares One Of His Special “Good Luck Charms” On The Show
Robert was only 2 years old when his father, wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, was killed. Steve died in September of 2006, after he was struck in the chest by the barb of a stingray while filming an underwater documentary titled Ocean’s Deadliest on the Great Barrier Reef.
The stingray’s barb punctured his heart, and despite immediate attempts to save him, he passed away shortly afterward at 44 years old.
In a new Instagram post, Robert shares one of his most beloved “good luck charms” for the competition, Steve’s old shirt. Robert explained that although the shirt is completely disfigured and full of tears and holes, it beautifully represents how Steve lived his life, “at 100%.”
He shared that during rehearsals and before every televised performance, he always wears the shirt, a comforting reminder that his father is always with him.
“It keeps me close to home, it keeps me close to him, just feels like a big hug every time I put it on,” Robert said.