Ten years ago, Bindi Irwin was crowned champion of Dancing With the Stars alongside partner Derek Hough. Now, her younger brother, Robert Irwin, is gearing up to hit the ballroom for his own shot at the Mirrorball trophy.
Robert was the first cast member confirmed for Season 34 of the dance competition show, and he’s already received some invaluable advice from his big sis.
“The thing she really stressed is just be yourself and make it your own,” Robert told TV Insider. “I go into this with such pride and admiration for what Bindi did on the show, and I’m not trying in any way to match what she did. She is just the most incredible human being and just lit up the dance floor so, so incredibly well. She was just amazing. I just want to bring a bit of that Irwin spirit back into the ballroom.”
Robert revealed that Bindi urged him to “apply yourself” and “give it 100%” while trying to “sit back and enjoy every second.” He added, “So that’s what I’m going to do. I want to give it my all but really try and revel in it and enjoy every second because it’s something that is a one-of-a-kind experience, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
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Interestingly enough, Bindi’s former dance partner, Hough, is now a judge on the show, but Robert doesn’t think he’ll play favorites, despite their history. “When it comes to dancing, as a judge, I think you’ve gotta have an unbiased opinion. He really is such a detailed eye when it comes to dancing. That’s what I’ve taken away,” the conservationist shares. “He is the absolute expert. He’s the utmost professional. He watches every detail with such insight.”
Robert praised Hough’s ability to “not only judge and critique the dance,” but also give advice. “I think when it comes to judging, he’s going to be the judge,” he concluded. “He’s going to do this job, exactly what he’s supposed to do, but I definitely will certainly be excited to take on board any advice that he’s got throughout the show, which he’s very, very, very good with, with all the dancers.”
Scroll down for more from our chat with Robert!
How did getting cast on the show come about?
Robert Irwin: It’s always been something I wanted to do. It’s always been a dream. The way it came about, it was pretty funny. It was a pretty quick yes from me. I really, really wanted to do this for a very long time. The stars just aligned, everything worked out perfectly, and it just feels like it’s meant to be, and now’s the time. I’m so happy that it got announced so early because I’m not good at keeping a secret. I try really hard, but I’m so happy I don’t have to try and keep it locked down for too long. I’m so excited, and now I just want to get into it. I was ready when the announcement was made last month. I’m like, ‘Put me in there, let’s go!’ It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be something very, very new, but that’s what life’s all about.
Do you have any dance experience?
I think I probably have the least dancing experience of maybe anyone who’s ever done this show. I have so little rhythm, it’s scary. Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this! It’s definitely not something I’ve ever done, but this is the fun thing. I don’t know. I’ve never done this before. It could go anywhere. I could go, ‘I got this!’ Or it could be a really big uphill battle for my dance partner.
You could walk in on the first day and be like, ‘I knew how to dance this whole time!? Who knew?’
That’s what I’m manifesting, but, again, my sister said the same thing. She’d never done anything like ballroom dancing and then she came in and had to put the high heels on and she never done that before and she just fell flat on her face, but she said you just have to really reach within yourself, stay applied, stay focused, and you’ve got the best of the best that are around you, guiding you every step of the way. You’ve just gotta lean into that, trust the process, and work hard. It’s about working hard and really trying to enjoy every second. So that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t mind what happens, but I’m going to give it 110%, for sure.
Disney/Eric McCandless
What dance style do you think you’ll be good at, and what are you most nervous about learning?
One that I’m really excited for is a Jive. I really want to do a Jive. Whenever I see anyone do that, I just go, ‘That just seems like my vibe.’ It’s really energetic, it’s fun, it’s unpredictable, and I love that. I remember watching Bindi doing, like, Argentine Tango and going, ‘That looks SO challenging.’ I didn’t even know a human being could move like that. It’s just incredible. It’s all going to be a learning curve, it’s all going to be different, but a Jive, I’d love to do. That looks fun. I love music. I’m musical, so I love the idea of the beats and the timing, and from what I can gather, that’s sort of what you’ve gotta be in tune with.
What are you most nervous and excited about for the show?
Good question. This is an interesting question to answer. When you ask what I’m most nervous about and what I’m most excited about, those two things really go hand-in-hand. What I’m most excited about is how nervous I am about it all. That is honestly what gets me excited because it is an adrenaline rush. It’s putting yourself outside of your comfort zone, and it’s gonna make you really nervous, and it’s gonna give you that adrenaline rush.
But that’s also the best part of this experience, it’s the fact that it is so different, the fact that an audience throughout the country gets to watch people from every different walk of life and get to discover a new side to them, get to see them vulnerable, and to see them really, as a fish out of water.
I think, for me, I can’t wait to really try and showcase what I’m all about. My message. The message that’s behind everything that I do, in such a new way. I hopefully want to inspire people in their own lives to sometimes, every now and again, get out of your comfort zone. Try something new. Try something that makes you a little bit nervous, even, and to really apply yourself and to hit everything at 100 percent. Dancing With the Stars is a show that means a lot to me and it has for a long time. As a fan of the show and my sister, watching her do that, it’s been part of my life for well over a decade and it just feels like a real sense of coming home and a real sense of gratitude. It feels like a real privilege that I get to return into the ballroom on the other side of it all as a contestant and to just come into this experience with a completely blank canvas, an open mind, no experience, but a lot of passion.
Dancing With the Stars, Season 34 Premiere, Tuesday, September 16, 8/7c, ABC
For a deep-dive into all things Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.tvgm2025.com/ and on newsstands August 29.
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