Robert Irwin and Witney Carson take home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy!

Photo courtesy of Serecki/Wikimedia Commons

Robert Irwin was a well-beloved cast member of Dancing with the Stars (2005-) this season. His positive energy and enthusiastic spirit charmed fans of the show, and that, along with his progress and creativity in dance, brought him success.

Dancing with the Stars (2005- ) celebrated their 20th season on air this past season. Fan favorite Robert Irwin took home the 20th anniversary Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy alongside pro partner Witney Carson. 

Witney brought home her second Mirrorball with this win. Alfonso Ribeiro, a current host for the show, won the famed trophy with Witney on Season 19 of the show. Alfonso spoke on how the loss with Milo Manheim devastated Witney and how hard it was for her to mentally come back from that. Alfonso was outspoken on his support for Witney and how this journey with Robert has brought her love for the show back. 

On Season 27, Witney and celebrity partner Milo Manheim lost to Bobby Bones and his pro partner, Sharna Burgess. This was one of the most controversial wins in Dancing with the Stars (2005- ) history. Bobby was not a high-scoring contestant, nor was he the most improved—he was carried through the competition because of fan votes. Milo was arguably one of the best and most memorable contestants to compete on the show, and they should have won that season. He was in the audience for the finale and watched them win—for many, this was a full circle moment. 

Robert faced a lot of criticism online because of his dad, Steve Irwin, being a focal point of some of his dances. Some felt that he was using his dad’s death for “sympathy votes,” which is a disgusting claim. Most of the time, the producers or hosts asked Robert about his dad and he was then encouraged to talk about it. Robert’s “Dedication Night” dance was in honor of his mom Terri Irwin and her strength in raising him and his sister Bindi. 

Furthermore, Robert has every right to talk about his dad and how his death impacted him. Robert has carried on his dad’s remarkable legacy as a wildlife conservationist and has continued Steve’s work at the Australia Zoo. He was incredibly young when he lost his dad and I thought it would be obvious that he would talk about his dad since his career has followed in his footsteps. The media and press have constantly pushed his dad’s death onto Robert and fans trying to argue that this is Robert’s doing for “sympathy votes” is obscene. 

While Robert won the trophy, every couple in the finale equally deserved it. Alix Earle partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy came in second place. Alix was consistently a good dancer and improved tremendously throughout the season. She was a top contender, but failed to secure as many votes as Robert.

Jordan Chiles and pro partner Ezra Sosa came in third place in the competition. They arguably performed the best throughout the finale night and their freestyle was dynamic. While Jordan was not the best dancer in the competition, she outperformed everyone during the finale and her partnership with Ezra was perfect. 

Celebrity Dylan Efron came in fourth place with his partner Daniella Karagach. Dylan never stood out and many fans argue that many of his dances were forgettable. But his contemporary freestyle was his breakthrough—he showed everyone a new, vulnerable side of him throughout the dance. 

The contestant in fifth place was Elaine Hendrix with pro Alan Bersten. Their freestyle was so fun and energetic, it felt like a Broadway performance. Elaine was fun and high-energy throughout the competition, which drew a lot of fans in. 

While Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars (2005- ) has come to an end, many fans can not wait for Season 35 to premiere!