Fans outraged after Robert Irwin’s historic DWTS win: ‘I don’t think this was legit’
Robert Irwin has just won “Dancing with the Stars” – but not everyone is happy about his historic victory.
He helped to break a huge record this year with 72 million votes cast, more than the population of Australia, which was revealed to be over double last year’s finale.
Even more impressively, across the whole season, more than half a billion votes were sent in.
Fellow celeb contestants Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles, Dylan Efron, and Elaine Hendrix all gave a solid effort in the final episode, but ultimately it was our Wildlife Warriors’ night to take home the prestigious title and mirror ball trophy.
“My sister said it best: thank you for changing my life,” he said, in floods of tears.
“I’m so grateful for Robert, honestly, I already feel like I won with him as my friend, and I can’t thank you enough,” said dance partner Witney.
Fans rushed to TikTok after videos of Rob’s win went viral, and some shared their surprise that he managed to take home the mirrorball trophy, with a few mentioning his “obvious” mistake during one of his dances.
“I felt something was off, I don’t think this was a legit 30/30,” one fan said on TikTok.
“I love Robert and Witney, but I agree that the 2 dances looked a bit flat,” remarked a second.
“Robert was reported to have a rib injury just hours before performing, so I guess they had to modify the chorey and tone it down a bit,” adding, “You don’t see any of Robert’s amazing lifts and tricks like in the past weeks.”
During practice for their Judges’ Round (the Quick Step as requested by Derek), Robert could be heard complaining of his earlier rib injury, telling Derek: “I’ve been dealing with rib pain… it’s been getting worse progressively.”
However, you wouldn’t know he was seen by medics shortly before hitting the dancefloor, with the pair nailing their first dance to the hit track Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet.
Sadly, though, not everyone felt the pair perfected every dance.
One viewer on Twitter said: “The concept of the judges not mentioning Robert’s OBVIOUS mistake AND giving him all 10s?!?!?!”
In the end, Irwin’s final score of 89 points put him in second place on the leaderboard behind Earle, and the winner was decided by combining the judges’ scores with the public votes.
After his impressive win, which made him and Bindi Irwin the first brother and sister to both take home the DWTS trophy, the pair shared a heartwarming moment where Rob fought back tears as they embraced.
As they shared a sweet embrace amid all the chaos on the dancefloor, it showcased how much the win meant to them both.
Bindi made sure to get in on the action too, bringing her winning trophy along so they could pose together, celebrating their winning journeys.
She captioned the video of the pair hugging: “10 years ago, I won Dancing With The Stars. Tonight my little brother takes HIS mirrorball trophy home!”
It was said to be “one of the tightest” results between Robert and Alix, both in the final two.
Earlier in the evening, three contestants earned a perfect score – and they weren’t Rob. Dylan, Alix, and Elaine all scored a perfect 30 from the judges for their first dances. But it wasn’t long before the other contestants nabbed their own perfect scores.
Robert’s second dance – the Cha Cha – was his first perfect score, followed by an emotional freestyle performance dedicated to his fans and late father Steve, which earned him another round of perfect scores.
“I want this Freestyle to say thank you to America,” he said ahead of the dance, fighting back tears and clutching his injured ribs.
“I wish he could see it, I really wish he could be here,” he added. “I just could feel this support,” Robert said of the fans who praised him along the way.
The judges were impressed and reassuring.
Bruno said he believed Steve was with his son the whole way: “He sees you,” he said. “What he’s gonna say is, ‘Mate that was a solid gold 24-karat performance.’”
Derek couldn’t be prouder.
“Robert, I remember in this very room sitting right there at 11 years old, and now you had just done the most beautiful Freestyle. You are a dancer. You are a phenomenal human being,” he said.
Carrie Ann reassured Robert that he had lots of love surrounding him and hoped it would be some sort of conciliation for not having his dad by his side for such a special evening.
Robert pushed through his rib injury in the first half of the Dancing With The Stars grand final, nailing a perfect score for his Cha Cha – one of his final dances of the evening.
Robert and partner Witney Carson are expected to dance three times on their big night – including a Judges’ Choice round, an Instant Dance round, and a Freestyle round.
Dancing to Cake by the Ocean by DNCE, the pair gained much praise from the judges, with judge Bruno Tonioli declaring Robert was “on fire” and Derek Hough calling their moves “incredibly impressive.”
They scored an impressive 29 out of 30 with Derek hailing Robert the “Quick Step King” and Bruno claiming her had “the acceleration of a cheetah.”
Just a month ago, Robert was sharing a flashback photo of himself clutching big sister Bindi’s mirror ball trophy at her grand final performance on “Dancing With The Stars” a decade ago, perhaps dreaming it might just be him one day.
Today, he got to dance in his own grand final.
Hours before taking to the dancefloor one last time, Robert took a moment to send a sweet note to his dance partner Witney, who shared the handwritten words on Instagram.
“I admire your courage as you balance a truly impressive workload while being a fantastic mom, and your determination and kindness even under huge pressure is inspiring,” it reads.
“You have taught me lessons that I’ll take with me for the rest of my life. I feel blessed to know the Carson/McAllister’s and while it is coming to an end, you’ve got me in your corner forever. We Irwin’s tend to stick around! Sorry, bud, I’m hard to get rid of. … Always remember: When in doubt – send it.”
As Aussies get behind our beloved larrikin, Robert heads into the final with one minor setback – a rib injury.
Witney confirmed the news on TikTok, sharing that their bodies are “falling apart” just hours before they take on three dances for the finale.
“Today at [camera] blocking is a little stressful because we just have to make the freestyle all come together,” she shared.
“Robert’s ribs have been killing him, and more will be revealed on Tuesday, and you guys can get a better idea of what we’ve been dealing with all week.”
Still, there’s nothing that a couple of lucky charms can’t fix for our Wildlife Warrior-turned dancer.
Shortly after making the grand final, Robert took to social media to share two special items he always wears on show day that give him good luck – a gold ring and a ratty blue shirt that once belonged to his late father, Steve Irwin.
In a video shared on Instagram, Robert talked through two items he wears on show day that give him a bit of extra luck.
“These two things are a way to keep me close to home and what’s most important to me… this ring and this shirt,” he said in the footage.
“I wanted to start with the shirt. This is my dad’s shirt,” he explained.
“I like that it still looks and feels like him. Each one of the tears, and the holes, the missing buttons, tells a different story. And this shirt definitely saw a lot. I guess it’s a good example of how dad lived his life.”
A second video then shows the wildlife warrior talk through the meaning of his gold ring – a set of keys to his childhood home he found while cleaning his dad’s office and had melted down into the special piece of jewellery. Engraved in it is “1638,” the address of the home on Steve Irwin Way, located in Australia Zoo.
“It’s the most beautiful experience, and in some way, I want him part of it,” Robert shared.
“Because this experience has truly changed my life, and I know I wouldn’t be here without him and his legacy that I get to continue.”
A day before her little brother’s big night, Bindi, who made a surprise appearance during Robert’s Foxtrot performance, shared a sweet tribute to her sweet sibling. She also referenced Robert being there when she won the grand final with Derek Hough in 2015.
“Robert, 10 years ago you cheered for me as Derek and I took the @dancingwiththestars mirrorball home. Tomorrow, it’s your turn. No matter what, always know how proud I am of you and how lucky I feel to be your sister,” she shared.
Mom Terri, also took some time to share a tribute video for Robert ahead of his final dance, which featured candid footage of Robert with Steve.
“Robert, when you dance for the final time tomorrow, I will be holding a lifetime of love in my heart. You were the boy full of wonder and adventure, with such compassion for every creature. Your father’s son,” she wrote.
“This journey of dance will shape your life forever. Treasure this day always.”
We’re not crying…
