Robert Irwin is currently lighting up the ballroom on Season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars” with his partner, Witney Carson. The pair is definitely a team to beat, as they’ve been consistently at the top of the leaderboard for the first two episodes. There is no denying that Robert is a force to be reckoned with because of his dancing skills and contagious charm. But there is a heartbreaking reason that Robert is reportedly participating in the show that has nothing to do with having fun.

Robert Irwin wearing black

A source told Globe that Robert is working more lately to try and financially support his family and save his late father Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo, which began struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Steve reportedly only had a small insurance policy to help support his family after his death. Steve and his wife, Terri Irwin, have two children, Robert and his older sister, Bindi Irwin, who won Season 21 of “Dancing with the Stars” with her partner Derek Hough in 2015.

“He’s so handsome, charming, and authentic. Everyone has taken such a shine to him, the job offers are rolling in. Of course, the ladies are lining up as well, which he’s enjoying, but, ultimately, Robert is on a mission to help set his mum up for life,” the Globe source said. Before he was announced as a cast member on “DWTS,” Robert posed with snakes and other reptiles in a Bonds underwear ad in April 2025 that went viral (via People).

Robert is also honoring his late father Steve on the dance floor

Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Robert Irwin was born on December 1, 2023, so he wasn’t even three years old in September 2006 when his father, wildlife conservationist and TV personality Steve Irwin, was attacked by a stingray while filming in the Batt Reef off the coast of Australia. Attempts to save his life were unsuccessful (via People). Robert is 21, and told People that he thinks his dad would be “stoked” watching him perform on “Dancing with the Stars.”

“Dad was the person who just gave everything he did, everything he had, truly. And this experience, that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to show every side to yourself. You’ve got to put every single fiber of your energy into this, and you get all of that back,” he continued, adding, “I’m doing this and I do what I do in life to make him proud.”

Read More: https://www.thelist.com/1543277/tragic-details-david-bromstad-life/