After a thrilling Season 34, wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson have been crowned the champions of "Dancing with the Stars". The pair secured the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after a night of high-stakes performances in the finale.
The 22-year-old Irwin triumphed over fellow finalists Alix Earle, Dylan Efron, Jordan Chiles, and Elaine Hendrix. The finale, which aired Tuesday, November 25, featured three rounds of dances: a judges' choice, an "Instant Dance Challenge" testing improvisation, and a freestyle routine.
Irwin and Carson impressed the judges and audience with their quickstep to Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" (chosen by judge Derek Hough), an improv Cha Cha to "Cake by the Ocean", and a freestyle dance to Sam Sparro's “Black & Gold” and Avicii’s “The Nights". They received a score of 29 out of 30 for the quickstep and perfect 30s for both the Cha Cha and freestyle. Although Irwin's final score from the judges was 89 out of 90, and Earle had a perfect 90, the winner was determined by combining judges' scores with live viewer votes, with over 72 million votes cast.
This win marks a special moment for the Irwin family, as Robert's sister, Bindi Irwin, won the Mirrorball Trophy in 2015. After the win, Robert referenced his sister, saying, "My sister said it best: Thank you for changing my life!". Bindi also expressed her pride on Instagram, writing, "Words can't describe how proud I am of you. You EARNED this". Carson shared her gratitude for her partner, adding, "I'm so grateful for Robert, and I feel like I won already with him as my friend".
Despite a painful rib injury sustained just hours before the finale, Irwin pushed through, delivering show-stopping performances. He revealed, "I've been dealing with rib pain because the intercostal muscles of the ribs are under a lot of tension," but was determined to rehearse until the very last second.
Throughout the season, Irwin paid tribute to his late father, Steve Irwin. He carried two "good luck charms" during rehearsals: a ring made of keys to his childhood home and his dad's shirt, which he wore for every rehearsal. After his freestyle performance, Robert expressed his wish for his father to be there, saying he wanted to make him proud. Judge Bruno Tonioli responded, acknowledging Steve Irwin's presence, "He sees you...What he's gonna say is, 'Mate that was a solid-gold 24-karat performance'".
The finale also featured performances from eliminated couples and Season 33 champions Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson. Jordan Chiles' freestyle was particularly memorable, as she was joined on the dance floor by Normani, the singer of her freestyle song "Motivation".
Reflecting on their victory, Irwin and Carson told People that they had a pep talk before the results were announced. "We just said, 'It doesn't matter what happens now,'" Irwin said. "We're so grateful that we're here and we know what we've put in and we know what this represents".
