Former ‘DWTS’ winner has a major prediction for Season 34’s first contestant Robert Irwin: 'You are...'
Robert Irwin is going to Hollywood! Yes, you heard that right; the wildlife conservationist is excited to follow in his elder sister Bindi Irwin's footsteps. 'Dancing With the Stars' announced the 21-year-old as its first celebrity contestant for season 34 in April 2025. "This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid watching my sister’s incredible journey on the show back in 2016," he captioned an Instagram post declaring his participation. Bindi, who won season 21 as a 17-year-old back in 2015, gushed about her little brother in a congratulatory Instagram post, "Robert, you are going to absolutely shine in the ballroom. I wish I could express the magnitude of how proud I am of you and everything you have achieved," she wrote.
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In addition, the Australian actress reflected on her experience on the show and said she "can't wait to cheer" her brother each week while watching it. "You inspire so many with your strength, kindness, and determination. Here’s to an extraordinary journey ahead." She concluded, "So excited to be back in the ballroom celebrating my brother." Sharing his shirtless entry with a python clinging to his neck, Robert shared on Instagram that he had manifested his dream into reality. In an exclusive with E! News, he gave his sister kudos for always supporting him. "I remember so vividly," he confessed sentimentally. "I was 11 years old when she did the show, a decade ago. I just sat there watching in the crowd every night. I was so proud of her."
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Sharing an adorable throwback clip of himself as an 11-year-old with his sister from the sets of 'DWTS', the famed zookeeper once again couldn't stop fawning over Bindi's achievements. During his interview with the well-known publication, Robert admitted to putting his best efforts to win like his sister. Meanwhile, Bindi had expressed that she gained renewed strength to "jump on crocodiles" after winning the show. "We can only jump on top of them to hold them down to hold them down to put tracking devices on them," she told E! News back then. "This requires some of the strongest people, and after Dancing With the Stars, I never knew I would gain this newfound strength."
On the other hand, late Steve Irwin's daughter, Bindi, has openly discussed her struggles with endometriosis and has undergone surgery for the same in 2023. A source told New Idea that winning the reality competition was her only big achievement over the years. “The show was her last big triumph and unlike anything she could ever top again,” continues the source. “It’s also a reminder of how much her health problems have set her back.” The source continued that Bindi and Terri, their mother, have been grounding Robert after the announcement, “Robert’s absolutely ecstatic, but Terri and Bindi are not letting it get to his head.”
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“It’s true he’s always measured himself against his big sister, so there’s always been a competitive edge to his ambitions," the insider added. “Being invited on Dancing with the Stars wasn’t something he was going to say no to just to avoid hurt feelings. He knows there’s no way he’d have been invited on if Bindi hadn’t been such a popular contestant,” the insider concluded.
