Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars saw Robert Irwin and Witney Carson going for the gold, and they were proudly crowned champions. Amid the 2025 TV schedule, the wildlife conservationist mastered different dance styles like ballroom, high-energy freestyle and some hot salsa. That last dance was actually “spicy” that Irwin was hesitant to tell his family about his shirtless Latin dancing, though he tried to do so in a humorous way.
Considering Robert Irwin did a sexy underwear ad, it was probably inevitable that he’d bring that type of sex appeal to DWTS. And he surely did with his shirtless salsa dancing routine to “Million Dollar Baby.” Needless to say, that moment was widely discussed by fans. However, it was revealed on the Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce podcast that Irwin’s relatives had no idea he was going to bring about some sexy moves, and he explained why:
They didn’t, and there was a good reason for that because, every dance that I had done, I would give my family a little preview. They would come to a rehearsal, or I’d show them a video. But then this one, there’s a point in the dance where I remove my shirt, and there’s a lot of — it’s salsa, so it’s, you know, it’s a little bit spicy.
Muy caliente of spice, to be exact! Robert Irwin really brought his A-game to that dance and a confidence that felt both fresh and electrifying. I can understand why the Australian Zoo employee was a bit hesitant to show his family a preview of himself in a new, shirtless light. I have to say, had I also been in a position to give a somewhat risqué performance, I’d be nervous to tell my relatives as well.
It may not have been on the TV personality’s bingo card to show his family what his “spicy” TikTok Night dance would be like. However, Irwin continued to talk about how he got up the nerve to somewhat warn the Irwins about what would happen during the broadcast:
I was like, I can’t show my fam, I don’t know. So I just went, you know what? I’m just gonna go for it. And I said to them, ‘So this one’s a little bit edgy.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s great. Go for it.’ But then afterwards, they were like, ‘Whoa!’ But you know what? Life is short. You gotta just embrace it. There’s nothing wrong with that. It was fun.
Those are fair points. Considering Robert Irwin is now a man, he’s free to show off a more sensual side of himself. Someone could argue that the “Million Dollar Baby” dance was a transformative experience for the Bonds underwear model in that he was encouraged by his dance partner to find an “edgy,” “passionate” side of himself that he claimed he never knew existed. Mission accomplished, I’d say. Check out the routine:
Essentially, Robert Irwin was simply taking a page out of his DWTS-champion sister Bindi’s playbook, whose sage advice to her brother was to be himself and make every dance his own. Not only did Robert pull it off with the judges’ high scores, but even Thunder Down Under and Chippendales wanted him after that. Clearly, people are feeling the confidence that the young Irwin sibling exuded while dancing shirtless.
If anything, I’d give Irwin credit for at least trying to make his family aware of shirtless dancing beforehand. Although they were surprised, I’d imagine they were ultimately supportive when he ultimately won that Mirrorball Trophy. With two Irwins now having competed Robert and Bindi’s mom, Terri, just has to answer her son’s request to compete on the competition series next. Should that happen, I’d love to see how Robert would react if his mom had to take part in a “spicy” routine.
If you want to revisit all of Robert Irwin’s A+ dances, you can watch the full 34th season of Dancing with the Stars with a Hulu subscription.