Robert Irwin is keeping the memory of his late father, zookeeper Steve Irwin, close as he approaches the start of his time on Dancing with the Stars.
In April, the 21-year-old actor and zookeeper was announced as a cast member on Season 34 of DWTS, which begins September 16. During Wednesday’s full cast reveal, Robert was paired with professional dancer and Season 19 winner Witney Carson.
Speaking to People, Robert shared plans to honor his father — who died in 2006 after being pierced by a stingray — on the dance floor.
“I just hope to keep his legacy alive, his spirit, his sense of just love for life,” he said. “And so if I can bring that kind of energy into the ballroom and honor him and his legacy, then I've done my job. So that's what we'll be trying to do is make him proud.”
Robert acknowledged that while he has “no idea” what Steve would think about him joining the dancing competition, he’s keeping his father’s important advice in mind.
“Crikey, I don't know, like all of the rhinestones and the glitter and all of that, it's a lot, but you know, I think he always said it was really funny. He'd always go, 'I don't care if people remember me, I want people to remember my message and what I stand for,” Robert explained. “And I think people remember his message and him.”
He went on to emphasize that his father taught him “what it was to truly live life at 100 percent.” And above all, for Robert, Steve “was just the greatest dad.”
DWTS fans will know that Robert isn’t the first person in his family to compete in the ABC program. His older sister Bindi, 26, won the mirrorball trophy in 2015 with her professional ballroom partner, Derek Hough.
Naturally, Bindi gave her younger brother some words of wisdom about being on the show, urging him to savor every moment of it.
“Honestly, the advice she’s given me that I’ve really tried to cling to is just make it your own and just enjoy [it] because it's so fleeting,” he told People. “It goes by so fast. She was there the whole way. I mean, she was there the entire show and won, and, and she still said it felt like a blink. But, she described it as the closest you can come to flying, you're representing everything about you in dance.”
Robert noted that while he wants to just to “enjoy” and “lock in” during his time on DWTS, it’s already been a challenge.
“This is hard, there's a lot going on and we haven't even done the first one yet,” he added.
Along with Robert, some of this season’s celebrity competitors include podcaster and actor Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria Baldwin, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, The Parent Trap star Elaine Hendrix, social media influencer Alix Earle, two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis, and Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel.
Season 34 of DWTS will also welcome back co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, in addition to the returning judging panel made up of Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. Pro dancer Mark Ballas is also returning from retirement to compete this season.
Dancing With The Stars returns September 16 to ABC.
