For Robert Irwin, Dancing with the Stars was one big full circle moment.
The wildlife conservationist first stepped into the ballroom a decade ago at just 11 years old, when his sister Bindi competed on and won Season 21 with Derek Hough. Fast forward to Tuesday night, and he and pro Witney Carson the one being lifted onto his fellow competitors’ shoulders after being awarded the mirrorball trophy.
“I knew I wanted to live out that dream that I’d had since I watched my sister lift that trophy,” the younger Irwin sibling tells Deadline. “But I was just, honestly, it’s a cliche thing to say, but honestly, just to be there was enough for me. Just to make it to the finale felt like such a win in itself, because it meant I got to dance every dance that I could have and to really see it through.”
In the interview below, Irwin reflects on his win and what it meant for him to join Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars.
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DEADLINE: First of all, congratulations on your win!
ROBERT IRWIN: Oh, thank you so much. I’m still in an absolute state of shock.
DEADLINE: What was going through your head when they called your name last night?
IRWIN: I mean, every single week in this competition that’s gone by, I’ve just felt, I mean, at first, absolute disbelief, because I had no idea what to do going into this. I knew that this was a dream, and I knew that I was going to give it everything, but I had not the slightest idea of how to dance. So, really, the start there, just every week felt like a win. I was like, ‘This is amazing. I’m still here.’ But then, kind of halfway through this competition, I really started to realize the power of the storytelling. That is what this show is about. It’s really connecting and telling stories. I think that really fueled this sense of passion. Then to get to the end and to hold that trophy is just, I think, a real win for what I represent, which is the message and the legacy that is so important to me through wildlife conservation, through Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors, and all the projects that we have to conserve the environment. But, I think it’s also about this sense of passion and positivity that is so important to me, and for that to be recognized meant everything. I think the way in which Witney and I just created this team, we were just so passionate to just pour as much fun and joy and vulnerability and just to put our heart on our sleeve and for that to be recognized meant the world to us.
DEADLINE: When did you start to feel like winning the mirrorball could be a reality? Did you have that thought before you made it to the finale?
IRWIN: It didn’t feel like a reality until I was holding it. This whole way through, I knew I wanted to get to the end. I knew I wanted to live out that dream that I’d had since I watched my sister lift that trophy. But I was just, honestly, it’s a cliche thing to say, but honestly, just to be there was enough for me. Just to make it to the finale felt like such a win in itself, because it meant I got to dance every dance that I could have and to really see it through. More than that, it meant I had three months to spend time with such an incredible group of people — the fellow contestants, the pros and also the crew that make this show possible, most of which are exactly the same as when I was 11 years old in the ballroom for the first time when my sister did the show. So it just felt like I was welcomed back into this family atmosphere, and I just wanted to sit in that as long as I could. It was so special, but I really did find the whole experience very healing on a personal level. It was a really healing journey, and I really have Witney to thank for that.
DEADLINE: What was it like reuniting with your mom and Bindi after the show? What did they say to you?
IRWIN: It was amazing. It was really special. It was quite a whirlwind, because I’m obviously in New York now, and then tomorrow, I’m on a plane to to South Africa to host another show over there. So it’s just like this weird little time where three months of our lives…they’ve been here supporting me. Everybody moved all the way out from Australia to be here for this. My family just means everything to me, and it was weird to just all of a sudden, there it is. It’s done, and we’re all in the green room together, and we all just, I think, were all kind of a little bit in shock. The excitement and pride from my sister, particularly, just meant everything, because she really set that course for me. She inspired me to do this and to take that leap of faith, and I’m so glad I did, because it’s changed my life. I think the lessons that I’ve [learned] here, I’ll carry with me forever. She’s just the inspiration behind this whole journey, for sure. So it’s pretty awesome having her here, because I remember being there when she won and just losing my tiny little 11-year-old mind.
DEADLINE: What did it mean to you to have Derek as one of your judges this season, after getting to watch him dance with Bindi?
IRWIN: It was perfect. I mean, the amount of full circle moments within this experience, we talk about it so much, Witney and I. First of all, the fact that the person that I’m partnered with, the person that I’m spending every day in rehearsals with, is someone that I first met when Bindi started her journey on the show 10 years ago, and I met her at 11 years old. Now it’s like this time capsule I step back in, and now she’s a mom and has two kids and a family of her own. It was just this amazing experience. I definitely started to realize this is something incredibly special, having Derek on the judging panel and being there with me giving great critiques, great advice, and guiding me through the process, exactly how Bindi went through it. I mean, he was the person there guiding her through that as well. It was very special and just a real full circle moment, for sure.
DEADLINE: Should we expect to see you back in the ballroom when Dancing with the Stars calls on their alumni?
IRWIN: They are not getting rid of me. I feel really bad, because they’re kind of like, ‘you won, nice, see ya.’ But I’m not leaving. I’m not going anywhere. Literally anything they ever want me to do ever. If they just want me to be a pro, be the worst pro ever, and I’ll just be there every season, that’s fine. I don’t even need to be partnered with anyone. I’ll just dance around in the background happily. No, honestly… it’s an amazing thing to be part of, because it is such a family atmosphere. You do feel like, once you’re in that community, you just want to sit in that feeling. It’s amazing. I mean, when else do you get to learn this completely new craft and tell personal stories and connect with people and all the while have all of these self-fulfilling epiphanies? It’s just such a rare thing to be part of. So I’m always going to be part of that fam, for sure.
DEADLINE: There has been a lot of chatter about some contestants having prior dance experience, while others had none. What do you think it says about the ethos of the show that, despite that, someone with no dance experience ultimately prevailed?
IRWIN: I think the great thing about the show is the fact that it brings together so many different people from different walks of life. It’s Dancing with the Stars, but really, the stars, it’s just a mash up of people that would never coexist, that would never be in the same room together. You see that when you’re in the studio, you’re looking going like, ‘This is so random. Elaine Hendrix is currently talking to Corey Feldman, and I’m here,’ and it’s so random, and that’s what’s so great about it. I believe that it is wonderful when you see people who have no idea what they’re doing, and they have this experience, or when you see people who may have danced at one point and lost touch with the art form, and now this is a way to reignite that. Whether you have that experience or not, it’s a beautiful thing to watch. I think the other thing is, is dance is pretty universal, and a lot of us, at some point in our life, take dance classes, or want to express ourselves through dance. I mean, when you’re growing up, that’s often part of your life. I mean, it wasn’t part of mine. I was too busy chasing after crocodiles. I wasn’t really doing much dancing. But at the end of the day, whether you have that experience or not, I think what it comes down to is, are you willing to bear your heart and soul, to give everything to this experience and show just your true, authentic self, and just let go, enjoy and just connect? That’s what it’s about. Whether you have that experience with dance or not, I think it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re giving them everything and you’re sharing a story that is important to you.
DEADLINE: Is there a specific dance that you’re going to remember fondly?
IRWIN: There’s so many. I think one of the biggest, I guess, turning points in this whole experience for me was the dance that we did, it was a contemporary dance in the dedication night. It was kind of earlier on in the competition. It was really special. I got to dedicate a dance to my mom and actually involve her in it, and it was a really very healing experience. Also it felt like a real turning point. It was like this realization of, ‘Oh, this really isn’t just about dance.’ This is about expressing something, I guess, for me, at least, that was really hidden kind of deep down inside that I’d never really been able to express before. It made me realize the power of this experience and this show and what it’s actually all about. So I think that will probably be the most special dance for me.