Robert Irwin received a huge surprise during a special anniversary episode of Dancing With The Stars – a member of the Royal Family came to support him!
The 21-year-old conservationist was surprised and excited when Prince William video-called him during Tuesday’s episode on November 11th to offer encouragement.
A lucky message helped Irwin and his dance partner Witney Carson achieve the highest score of the night, earning them a place in the semifinals.
They seemed relaxed and confident heading into next week’s show, having just achieved the first perfect score of the current season.
This week’s episode had a special surprise: Tom Bergeron, a former host, returned to Dancing With The Stars as a guest judge. His appearance was notable, as he had been let go from the show in 2020.
A member of the British Royal Family made a surprise virtual appearance on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ just after Bindi Irwin, age 27, playfully interrupted a dance rehearsal with her brother, Robert Irwin.
She was a veteran on the dancing competition, after competing in — and winning — season 21 in 2015.
I was so touched when Robert shared that being on the show meant missing out on something really important to him. He’d actually been invited to Brazil with Prince William for the Earthshot Prize – it’s a huge honor, recognizing people who are doing amazing things for the environment, and they give it to five individuals every year. He really had to make a tough choice to be here, and it shows how much this means to him.
However, Robert couldn’t accept the honor because he was still living in California, having found continued success on Dancing with the Stars.
I was watching everything, and they actually stopped getting ready – can you believe it? – because of some ‘special call’! Turns out, it was Prince William himself! I nearly fainted, honestly. Like, the Prince William! It was so random, but so amazing to see. I’ve been following them forever, and this was a moment!
Robert was clearly surprised, his mouth falling open for a moment. He quickly recovered and asked, “How was Rio?”
Wearing a plain white shirt and patterned tie, William said the award ceremony was a success, and expressed optimism about making a positive impact on the world.
He told Robert we all really missed him, then playfully added that while Robert was off doing his own thing, we definitely needed him back with us here. It was a lighthearted way of saying we wanted him around!
The Prince of Wales ribbed Robert by urging Witney to ‘get him in as much glitter’ as possible.
‘Listen, I’m trying,’ she responded.
William wished them well on the show, saying he thought they had a strong chance of winning.
Oh my gosh, when William said those things, Robert literally clutched his heart! It was the sweetest thing ever, he said it meant everything to him, absolutely everything! I swear, I almost fainted. It was just… perfect. You could just feel how much those words meant to him!
Once Prince William gave his approval, Robert was stunned and sank back onto the sofa. Witney, meanwhile, was surprised that William had even mentioned her name.
Robert announced that they were performing the dance for both Bindi and Prince William, and stressed the importance of getting it right. ‘Let’s not mess this up,’ he said.
Robert told his sister he’d be dancing the foxtrot to Leona Lewis’s song, “Footprints In The Sand.”
The song held special meaning for the siblings because Bindi had danced to it with Derek Hough on Dancing with the Stars ten years prior, during her time on the show.
She had used the moving tune as a tribute to their later Steve Irwin.
Okay, so Robert finally talked about it, and honestly, it’s EVERYTHING. He basically confessed he’s feeling the pressure – he really wants this dance to be the absolute best one we’ve ever seen. Like, he’s putting so much on this, and it just makes me even more excited! I can feel how much it means to him, and I’m already predicting it’s going to be legendary.
Ten years after watching his sister dance and being deeply moved, Robert performed wearing all white, just as she and Derek had done.
After finishing their graceful dance, Bindi and Whitney briefly posed for the cameras while holding hands.
When the music stopped, Robert looked away, and Witney took his hand. They all turned to face the dance floor, where videos of the Irwins growing up were being shown.
Robert was visibly upset and broke down in tears, prompting Bindi and Witney to kneel beside him and offer comfort.
Bruno Tonioli loved Robert’s performance, joking that after receiving praise from the British royal family, he now had the approval of America too.
Carrie Ann Inaba noticed one dancer briefly lifted a foot, but she was ultimately impressed, calling the performance both powerful and deeply moving.
She exclaimed that he’d gone from being incredibly charming in the first episode to a heartfelt and captivating storyteller.
Derek expressed his honor at being involved with the Irwin family’s story, and he described Robert as a truly joyful and enthusiastic person.
Guest judge Tom Bergeron admitted he was trying hard not to cry, but said it actually made things worse!
All four judges awarded Robert and Witney a perfect 10, making it the first time a couple had received a perfect score this season.
The conservationist and his partner were stunned and overjoyed, dropping to their knees as Robert stood up again, surrounded by falling confetti.
The show also featured Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy performing a foxtrot to Singin’ In The Rain.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas danced an Argentine tango to the song “Cell Block Tango” from the musical Chicago. Meanwhile, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach performed the same dance, but to Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Andy Richter and Emma Slater quickstepped to Robbie Williams’ “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” while Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten danced a salsa to Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock’s “It Takes Two.” Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa performed a cha cha to Ciara and Chamillionaire’s “Get Up.”
Robert came back for the relay race and performed to Olly Murs’ “Dance With Me Tonight.” Actress Xochitl Gomez filled in for Witney during the routine.
During the dance competition, Alix’s partner Val swapped places with Joey Graziadei, and Robert and Xochitl ultimately won.
During the final vote count, Alfonso revealed that the show had received a record number of votes.
I was so thrilled to hear that all of my favorite couples – Robert and Witney, Alix and Val, Dylan and Daniella, and Whitney and Mark – had made it through to the semi-finals! I’m really excited to see them all compete!
This meant the future of Andy and Emma, Jordan and Ezra, and Elaine and Alan was unclear. Once the judges’ scores and audience votes were counted, Andy and Emma were announced as the pair with the lowest score.
Despite having to go home, Andy said the show ‘changed my life.’
He shared that this show and Emma had a profound impact on him, completely changing him as a person. He emphasized that none of his success or growth would have been possible without her support.
The anniversary episode wasn’t just with Prince William – former host Tom Bergeron also made a special appearance.
Bergeron hadn’t made an appearance on Dancing With The Stars since he was fired in 2020.
He disagreed with producers about inviting political figures onto the show, a disagreement that started after they cast Sean Spicer, a former White House Press Secretary who received a lot of criticism, as a contestant in 2019.
Bergeron was fired after one year and Tyra Banks took his place. After Banks hosted for three seasons and ratings declined, Alfonso Ribeira and Julianne Hough became the new hosts.
Julianne appeared visibly emotional when Tom Bergeron walked out to begin the show, joining her and Alfonso. “Hi sweetheart, I’m so excited to be here. This is amazing!” Bergeron exclaimed.
Alfonso Ribeiro told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday that he’s returning to “Dancing with the Stars” because the show now has a completely new creative team. He left five years ago, and this new team made his return possible.
Let me tell you, the show really turned a corner when Conrad Green came back as executive producer in 2022. Things had been a little shaky with ratings towards the end of Tyra Banks’ time as host, but Conrad’s return definitely set the stage for me to come on as a guest. It was a great shift for the show, and I was thrilled to be a part of it!
He was the first showrunner I worked with, way back in 2005, and he rejoined the team when the show was going through a rough patch, as I remember it. He really helped stabilize things – kind of pieced everything back together, like Humpty Dumpty [laughs] – and he started reaching out to me to mend fences.
Green initially asked Bergeron to be a special guest at the show’s 500th episode celebration in 2024.
I enjoyed the initial offer, but I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable just sitting still,” the former host explained. “I wanted a position where I could be a bit more playful, so I actually suggested being a guest judge to him over lunch a few months back.
Bergeron remembers telling them he’d work for the standard union rate, as long as they also made a donation to the Motion Picture and Television Fund. He was happy they agreed, and felt good about the arrangement.
When asked if he was coming back to ‘Dancing with the Stars’ for its 20th season, the show’s host admitted, ‘Actually, no.’
Bergeron explained that the shift in who was leading the creative process was the biggest reason people felt comfortable coming back.
He said he wouldn’t return if the old leadership was still in power. He explained that the main reason he was going back was because Conrad was there, and it was obvious that Conrad made a difference.
The show is really making a comeback,” Bergeron explained. “It’s achieving things that are rare for a series that’s been on the air for twenty years, and the ratings have been fantastic.
I remember seeing him on Good Morning America, and he put it perfectly – he said it’s more likely you’d witness a zebra playing the piano than see them actually achieve the kind of success they’re hoping for. It really stuck with me!
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