Robert Irwin wows audience with tear-jerking ‘DWTS’ performance
In case you haven’t been keeping up, Robert Irwin has been the one to watch on this year’s season of Dancing with the Stars in the US.
From showing off his skills in the season’s opener to ‘Born to Be Wild’, to debuting his new character in the upcoming Disney movie Zootopia 2 in last week’s episode, there’s been plenty of excitement for viewers each and every week.
But today, the tables turned, leaving fans in tears following an emotional tribute to his mom, Terri Irwin.
“She was there. And that was enough.”
This week’s theme on DWTS was Dedication Night, meaning each of the celebrities would choose someone in their lives to perform a special tribute to.
Many chose friends or siblings. For Robert, it was a no-brainer – it had to be his mom, Terri.
“I want to dedicate this dance to my mom,” he shared in the Week 5 episode.
“She’s an absolute hero to me, because I was two when I lost dad, and as I got older, I suddenly realised just how hard it would have been for her to be there for us, and all the while, continue dad’s legacy that her and dad built together.”
Through tears, Robert shared that he’d ‘never been able to capture the feeling of gratitude’.
“At every milestone, I just wished that my dad was there,” he said.
“She was there. And that was enough.”
“You gave us all of your heart and soul”
With his partner, Witney Carson, the two performed a contemporary dance to the song ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’ by Phil Collins – a song he originally wrote for the 1999 film Tarzan, dedicated to his daughter Lily Collins.