Robert Irwin got the surprise of a lifetime on the 20th anniversary episode of Dancing With The Stars when a member of the Royal Family dropped by to cheer him on.
On Tuesday, November 11’s episode, the 21-year-old conservationist was shocked to see Prince William call him up for a video chat to wish him luck.
It was a fortuitous message, as Irwin and his professional dancer partner Witney Carson ended up tying for the top score of the night and securing their spot in the semifinals.
The two appeared to have set themselves up comfortably ahead of next week’s episode after they earned the first perfect score of season 34.
This week’s episode also featured a second special guest, former host Tom Bergeron, who made his grand return to Dancing With The Stars as a guest judge following his bitter firing in 2020.
DWTS’ Royal guest made his virtual appearance shortly after Irwin and Carson’s dance practice was interrupted by his 27-year-old sister, Bindi Irwin.
Robert Irwin got the surprise of a lifetime on the 20th anniversary episode of Dancing With The Stars when Prince William appeared to wish him luck
It was a fortuitous message, as Irwin, 21, and his professional dancer partner Witney Carson ended up tying for the top score of the night and securing their spot in the semifinals
She was a veteran on the dancing competition, after competing in — and winning — season 21 in 2015.Â
Robert revealed to Bindi that he had to make a major sacrifice to be on the show, as he had planned to join Prince William in Brazil for the Earth Shot Prize, which is awarded to five people every year for their efforts to advance environmentalism.Â
Instead, Robert had to duck out of the honor because he was ‘still here’ in California thanks to success after success on DWTS.
He and Witney paused the preparations to take a mysterious ‘special call,’ which turned out to be from Prince William.
‘Oh my goodness!’ Robert said as his jaw dropped open, before he composed himself to ask, ‘How was Rio?’
William, who appeared in a simple white shirt and patterned tie, said the prize ceremony went ‘really well,’ and he was confident that ‘We’re going to save the world.’Â
‘We’re missing you,’ he told Robert, before joking, ‘Whilst your twinkle toes are going off elsewhere, I need you down here.’Â
The Prince of Wales ribbed Robert by urging Witney to ‘get him in as much glitter’ as possible.Â
After Robert’s sister Bindi dropped by the studio, he revealed that he made a major sacrifice to be there, as he had planned to join Prince William in Brazil for the Earth Shot Prize before his success kept him in California
But then Robert got a ‘special call,’ and his jaw dropped open when he saw it was Prince William
‘We’re missing you,’ William told Robert, joking, ‘Whilst your twinkle toes are going off elsewhere, I need you down here’
The Prince of Wales ribbed Robert by urging Witney to ‘get him in as much glitter’ as possible. He wished the two ‘the best of luck’ on the show after predicting that they had a ‘seriously good chance of winning it’
‘Listen, I’m trying,’ she responded.
William wished the two ‘the best of luck’ on the show after predicting that they had a ‘seriously good chance of winning it.’
Robert put his hand over his heart as he said William’s kind words meant ‘the absolute world’ to him.
After Prince William signed off, Robert gasped and fell back on the sofa, while Witney said she was shocked that William even said her name.
‘We are doing this dance for Bindi, and we’re doing this dance for Prince William,’ Robert declared. ‘So, let’s not mess this up.’
While chatting with his sister, Robert revealed that he would be performing a foxtrot to the Leona Lewis song Footprints In The Sand.
The song was significant to the siblings, as Bindi had also danced to it with Derek Hough during her successful stint on DWTS a decade earlier.
She had used the moving tune as a tribute to their later Steve Irwin. Â
‘There’s a lot of weight, because I really want it to be our best dance yet, to be honest,’ Robert admitted.
While chatting with his sister, Robert revealed that he would be performing a foxtrot to the Leona Lewis song Footprints In The Sand
The song was significant to the siblings, as Bindi had also danced to it with Derek Hough during her winning stint on DWTS a decade earlier
‘There’s a lot of weight, because I really want it to be our best dance yet, to be honest,’ Robert admitted after he was seen tearing up to the dance a decade earlier
Robert, who had watched his sister’s dance with tears in his eyes a decade earlier, performed in all white like she and Derek had done.
At the conclusion of his delicate dance with Whitney, Bindi walked on for a quick face-to-face pose as they locked hands.
As the music faded, Robert turned away from her and Witney grabbed his free hand as all three faced the dance floor, which had childhood videos of the Irwins projected on it.
A clearly emotional Robert fell to his knees and wept, before Bindi and Witney both leaned down to comfort him.
Bruno Tonioli praised the performance, saying that Robert had ‘the royal seal of approval,’ and now he had ‘America’s seal of approval.’
Carrie Ann Inaba noted a troubling lifted foot, but she ultimately didn’t care because the dance was ‘so powerful’ and ‘so profound.’Â
‘You have come from being so charismatic that first episode, and now you have turned into a beautiful storyteller with your heart open,’ she gushed.
Derek said he was honored to have played a part in the Irwin family saga, and he praised Robert as a ‘beacon of joy and enthusiasm.’
Robert, who had watched his sister’s dance with tears in his eyes a decade earlier, performed in all white like she and Derek had done
Bindi joined her brother for a pose at the conclusion to the dance
The judges were ecstatic, and Carrie Ann Inbaba said Robert had ‘turned into a beautiful storyteller’ with his ‘heart open’
Robert and Witney fell to their knees in shock after they were awarded a perfect score of 40, the first time anyone had earned a perfect score for season 34
When it came to guest judge Tom Bergeron, he said he was ‘doing his best not to get choked up tonight, and that didn’t help!’
Each of the four judges then gave Robert and Witney a 10, marking the first perfect score of the season.
The conservationist and his dance partner both fell to their knees in shock and gratitude before Robert rose again as confetti rained down.
The show also featured Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy performing a foxtrot to Singin’ In The Rain.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas doing an Argentine tango to Cell Block Tango from the musical Chicago, while Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach performed the same dance to Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine.
Andy Richter and Emma Slater danced a quickstep to Robbie Williams’ Puttin’ On The Ritz, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten performed a salsa dance to Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock’s It Takes Two, while Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa danced the cha cha to Ciara and Chamillionaire’s Get Up.
Later, Robert returned for the relay with a jive to Olly Murs’ Dance With Me Tonight, which featured the actress Xochitl Gomez standing in for Witney.Â
Alix’s partner Val also switched out with The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei for the dance, which Robert and Xochitl triumphed in.
The show also featured Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy performing a foxtrot to Singin’ In The Rain
Andy Richter and Emma Slater danced a quickstep to Robbie Williams’ Puttin’ On The Ritz
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten performed a salsa dance to Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock’s It Takes Two
Andy and Emma were sent home after the final votes were tabulated. Despite the disappointing, the comedian said he was ‘a different person because of this show and this woman’
When it came to the final voting, Alfonso announced that the show had received the ‘most votes ever.’Â
He confirmed that Robert and Witney, Alix and Val, Dylan and Daniella and Whitney and Mark had all made it safely to the semi-finals.Â
That left Andy and Emma, Jordan and Ezra and Elaine and Alan’s futures uncertain. After the judges’ scores and the viewer votes were tabulated, Andy and Emma were revealed to be the lowest-scoring duo.Â
Despite having to go home, Andy said the show ‘changed my life.’
‘I’m a different person because of this show and this woman [Emma] right here. None of this would have happened without her,’ he said.
In addition to Prince William, the anniversary episode featured another special guest: former host Tom Bergeron.
Bergeron hadn’t made an appearance on Dancing With The Stars since he was fired in 2020.
He had clashed with producers over their decision to book political guests — from either the left or right — after they selected the widely derided former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer as as celebrity dancer in 2019.
In addition to Prince William, the anniversary episode featured another special guest: former host Tom Bergeron, who made his first appearance since being fired in 2020
Julianne Hough was notably tearful as Bergeron stepped out to introduce the show along her and Alfonso Riberio. ‘Hi sweetheart, I am thrilled to be here. What a rush,’ Bergeron said
Bergeron previously said he was only returning because the creative team that had fired him had been replaced by new leaders
Bergeron got the boot the following year and was replaced by Tyra Banks, before Alfonso Ribeira and Julianne Hough took over hosting duties following her three seasons of shrinking ratings.
Julianne was notably tearful as Bergeron stepped out to introduce the show along her and Alfonso. ‘Hi sweetheart, I am thrilled to be here. What a rush,’ Bergeron said.Â
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, Bergeron said his return was only possible because a new creative team had taken over DWTS since his dismissal five years earlier.
According to him, it was the return of executive producer Conrad Green in 2022 — after the show hit a ratings nadir toward the end of Tyra Banks’ three-year tenure as host — that set the stage for him to make a guest appearance.
‘He had been my first showrunner back in 2005, and he came back on board when, I think it’s fair to say, the show was having a little bit of a rickety period,’ Bergeron explained. ‘He kind of put everything back together again, Humpty Dumpty-style [laughs], and he started extending an olive branch to me.’
Green’s first entreaty was for Bergeron to be a prominent audience member for the show’s 500th episode in 2024.
‘While I appreciated the overture, I knew I’d be too fidgety just sitting there,’ the former host said. ‘I needed a role where I could cause a little more trouble, and being a guest judge was something I suggested to him at lunch a few months ago.Â
‘I said, “Look, I’ll charge you a scale, just union scale, and then you make a nice contribution to the Motion Picture and Television Fund,”‘ Bergeron recalled. ‘With those conditions in place, I felt very comfortable. And happily, they met my terms.’
He turned down an offer to be in the audience for the 500th episode. Bergeron suggested being a guest judge and offered to take a small payment in exchange for a donation to the Motion Picture and Television Fund; pictured in June 2024 in LA
But when the popular host was asked if he was returning to DWTS because of its 20th anniversary, he replied, ‘To be honest? No.’
According to Bergeron, it was mainly the change in creative leadership that made it feel safe to return.
‘If the previous regime was still in charge of the show, I wouldn’t go back,’ he said. ‘It was really because Conrad’s there, and you can tell.Â
‘Just look at what the show is doing. It’s having a resurgence,’ Bergeron continued. ‘It’s doing things that I can’t imagine many, if any, 20-year-old shows have done. They’ve been on a ratings tear.’
He added: ‘I said on Good Morning America, you’re more likely to see a zebra playing the piano than watch the success they’re having.’
