Robert Irwin Reflects on Cheering for Sister Bindi on ‘DWTS’ With Throwback Photos

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20th Anniversary Special

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As Dancing With the Stars celebrates its 20th anniversary, Robert Irwin is taking a look back at his history with the ABC competition series.

As many fans know, Robert’s sister, Bindi Irwin, famously won Season 21 of DWTS with Derek Hough in 2015. Ten years later, Robert is now hoping to take home the Season 34 mirrorball with his pro partner, Witney Carson. Ahead of the show’s 20th Birthday Party episode on Tuesday, November 11, Robert posted some sweet throwback photos of himself cheering on Bindi in the DWTS ballroom via his Instagram Story.

“Baby Robert cheering on @bindisueirwin in the crowd!” he wrote alongside an episode screengrab of himself in the DWTS Season 21 audience with his mother, Terri Irwin, and Bindi’s now-husband, Chandler Powell.

In another Instagram Story upload, Robert shared an adorable photo of himself posing behind the DWTS judges’ desk. “I can’t believe I’m here competing,” he captioned the snap.

Courtesy of Robert Irwin/Instagram

Robert opened up about what competing on the show means to him in a Tuesday Instagram Story video. “This show has meant so much to us for so many years, as it has with the whole country and around the world,” he told his followers. “So, I’m very excited to be part of it.”

Robert will perform two dances during Tuesday night’s episode, including a Foxtrot to “Footprints in the Sand” by Leona Lewis. “Tonight, my foxtrot dance is inspired by my sister and it’s in memory of my dad,” Robert said of the dance in a Tuesday Instagram post. “My family is everything to me, and I can’t wait for this special night ❤️.”

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The post featured a clip of Steve Irwin taking Bindi to visit Robert in the hospital after his birth in 2003. “Love you so much, Brian. ❤️,” Bindi commented underneath the post, referring to how her younger self referred to Robert by the name Brian.

Robert also shared an Instagram photo of Steve holding him as a newborn, writing, “This one’s for you, dad. It’s going to be a special night on @dancingwiththestars ❤️.”

Last week, Bindi and her 4-year-old daughter, Grace, visited Robert and Carson during rehearsals. “Celebrating 20 years of @dancingwiththestars. So incredibly special to bring Grace to the rehearsal studio,” she captioned a sweet Instagram group photo. “Her favourite part? ‘Dance Class’ with Witney and Uncle Robert. 🥹 My. Heart.”

Robert shared footage of himself and Carson teaching Grace a dance during the rehearsal via Instagram on Tuesday, writing, “I love when Grace stops by rehearsals and we can teach her some new dance moves. I’m so lucky to be her uncle. Makes me think about when I was a little kid watching my sister in rehearsals on her season of DWTS, it really is a full circle moment ❤️.”

Courtesy of Robert Irwin/Instagram

Along with the foxtrot, Robert will team up with Season 32 champion Xochitl Gómez for the Relay Dance round. Other returning winners that will return to the ballroom to dance with this season’s stars include Joey Graziadei (Season 33), Rumer Willis (Season 20), Kaitlyn Bristowe (Season 29), Rashad Jennings (Season 24), and Apolo Anton Ohno (Season 4).

The 20th anniversary episode will also feature appearances from the show’s original pros — Alec Mazo, Ashly DelGrosso, Louis van Amstel, Jonathan Roberts, Charlotte Jorgensen, and Edyta Śliwińska — and will see former host Tom Bergeron return to the ballroom as a guest judge.

Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+ (Streaming Next Day on Hulu)

For a more extended celebration of two decades of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands now.