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Season 34 of Dancing With The Stars is already off with a bang! The latest season of the reality TV dance competition has arguably one of the most star-studded casts yet, and there’s no doubt that the competition is going to be fierce.
There’s one contestant for whom the competition holds a bit of extra pressure, as he’s already had a family member compete—and win—a previous season. Can wildlife expert Robert Irwin live up to the big expectations that have been set for him?
Robert Had An Incredible First Dance On DWTS
Robert was one of the first cast members to be announced this season, and viewers were clearly excited about him joining the show. For his first dance in the premiere episode, he and partner Witney Carson performed a jive to “Born To Be Wild.” Robert told the cameras that he was a bit apprehensive about dancing in front of an audience, jokingly noting that he was more at home in crocs than on the stage.
Luckily, Robert got glowing reviews from the judging panel, who called his opening dance “brilliant” and had other effusive things to say. Judge and former pro dancer Derek Hough was especially complimentary of Robert’s performance. He noted that Robert did his sister Bindi proud with the jive:
You didn’t just fill them; you owned those shoes. That was probably the best first dance I’ve ever seen on this show.
Derek also joked that Robert must’ve been practicing quite a bit over the last decade, as it’s been ten years since his older sister won the competition back in 2015.
Bindi Left Behind An Impressive DWTS Legacy
Despite having big shoes to fill, Robert claimed he did nothing to prepare for the show ahead of time. As reported by E! News, his older sister reassured him as he entered the competition. He explained that Bindi gave him simple advice to keep in mind:
Bindi just said, ‘Take a breath and enjoy every single second of it.’ As soon as she found out that Witney was my partner she said, ‘I got no notes on dancing. You have got that covered. You got a great partner. You’re gonna be all good. But really try and enjoy this ’cause it goes by so fast.’
Fans of the show will know that Bindi herself took home the crown in Season 21. At the time, she was paired with Derek Hough himself, and the two quickly soared to the top of the scoring board. It seems like Robert has similar natural dancing chops to his sister, and only time will tell how he fares in Season 34.
“I feel like I had a good idea of what this show was about coming into it, ’cause my sister had done it, but it blew away every single expectation I ever had,” the wilderness expert explained. “And that’s thanks to this incredible team, amazing cast, and, honestly above all, the most incredible dance partner ever. Ten years in the making, here we are. It’s such a privilege,” he added.
Additional episodes of Dancing With The Stars will air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney.
