“Robert Irwin is all grown up!” she proclaimed
Dancing With the Stars contestant Robert Irwin left judge Carrie Ann Inaba speechless after ripping of his shirt in the middle off his salsa with partner Witney Carson. The pair danced to “Million Dollar Baby” by Tommy Richman on the show’s first-ever TikTok night.
Following their dance, Irwin stood in front of the judges’ panel still exposing his abs.
“Robert Irwin is all grown up,” Inaba proclaimed. “You’re making me feel like a grandmother. I’m like, ‘Put a shirt on!'”
Visibly flustered, Inaba struggled to find her words. “You are a really great performer,” she added. “I’m just going to leave it there.”
Fellow judge Derek Hough wasn’t quite as distracted by Irwin’s abs, offering up constructive criticism, noting, “It was rigid. It was stiff for salsa.”
The audience began to boo at Hough’s comments, but Inaba quieted them, saying, “Don’t boo him!”
Cohost Julianne Hough added on to the praise for Irwin’s physique when he and Carson joined her in the sky box. “Robert’s with me,” she said, adding, “I think it’s another Hemsworth. I’m not sure,” likening Irwin to his fellow Australians, actors Chris and Liam Hemsworth.
An animal conservationist, Irwin used his rehearsal package to explain how he uses TikTok to promote animal welfare. He even introduced Carson to one of the alligators he had rescued.
Irwin, the son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, has become an early favorite on the show. He follows closely in the fancy footsteps of his sister, Bindi, who won season 21 of DWTS with partner Derek Hough.
For the third week in a row, Irwin and Carson earned the highest score of all the season 34 contestants. Even with Hough’s critique, the duo earned a total of 24 out of 30, tying with gymnast Jordan Chiles and pro Ezra Sosa for the top spot on the leaderboard.
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Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu.
