The ballroom has long been a place of high drama and technical precision, but the Season 34 finale of Dancing with the Stars delivered something more: a full-circle moment for one of television’s most beloved families. On November 25, 2025, 21-year-old wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin was crowned the champion, raising the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy alongside his professional partner, Witney Carson. The victory was a historic milestone, making Robert and his sister Bindi—who won the title exactly ten years ago—the first sibling duo to ever win the competition. In a finale that saw record-breaking engagement with over 72 million votes cast in a single night, Irwin managed to narrowly edge out social media powerhouse Alix Earle. It was a night defined by “refined fierceness” and emotional tributes, proving that the Irwin family’s infectious joy remains a powerful force in the American cultural zeitgeist.
A Legacy Continued
The narrative arc of Robert Irwin’s journey on the show was inextricably linked to his family history. From the moment he stepped onto the dance floor in September, the comparisons to his sister Bindi were inevitable. However, Robert quickly established a style all his own, characterized by a mix of athletic power and a genuine, sun-drenched charisma that mirrored his late father, Steve Irwin. Throughout the season, he famously wore his father’s khaki shirts during rehearsals, carrying a piece of his heritage into every grueling practice session. When his name was finally announced as the winner, a tearful Robert echoed his sister’s winning words from a decade prior: “Thank you for changing my life.”
The finale was not without its hurdles. Just days before the three-hour live broadcast, it was revealed that Robert was battling a significant rib injury that threatened his ability to perform the high-energy lifts required for his freestyle. Despite the pain, he pushed through three rounds of competition, including a judges’ choice Quickstep and an “Instant Dance” Cha-Cha. His partner, Witney Carson, who celebrated her second Mirrorball win exactly 11 years after her first, praised his “warrior spirit.” The victory was a testament to his evolution from a self-described “non-dancer” to a leading man of the ballroom.
The “Alix Earle Effect” and the Runners-Up
While Robert took the top prize, the competition was one of the tightest in the show’s 20-year history. Alix Earle, the social media sensation whose influence has been dubbed the “Alix Earle Effect,” finished as the runner-up alongside partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Earle was the season’s technical dark horse, consistently topping the leaderboard with her “refined fierceness.” Her finale performances, including a perfect-score Samba and an electric freestyle to a fusion of “Maneater” and “Sports Car,” showcased a level of professional-grade dance that many critics believed would secure her the win.
The final five was rounded out by an impressively diverse group of talent. Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles took third place, delivering what judge Carrie Ann Inaba called “the best freestyle I have ever seen”—a powerful routine set to a medley of Beyoncé and Normani. Fourth place went to Dylan Efron, who surprised audiences with his emotional depth and elegance, while The Parent Trap star Elaine Hendrix placed fifth. The fact that all five finalists finished within three points of each other on the judges’ leaderboard underscored the high stakes and exceptional quality of Season 34.
The Mechanics of a Record-Breaking Finale
The 2025 finale introduced a demanding new format: for the first time, couples had to perform three separate routines in a single night. This included the “Instant Dance” challenge, where couples were given a dance style and song they had not previously rehearsed together, requiring them to choreograph and perform on the spot. This added layer of difficulty favored those with strong partnerships and quick instincts. According to host Alfonso Ribeiro, the engagement for this finale was unprecedented, with the show receiving over 500 million votes across the entire season, signaling a massive resurgence in the show’s popularity on both ABC and Disney+.
Behind the scenes, the production was a massive undertaking, featuring performances from the Season 33 champions Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, as well as the professional troupe. The inclusion of high-tech augmented reality elements and a live orchestra for the freestyle round elevated the spectacle to a cinematic level. For the viewers at home, the “closeness” of the vote was not just a hosting trope; insiders suggested the margin between Irwin and Earle was less than one percent, making it a true “people’s choice” result that came down to the final minutes of the broadcast.
The Future of the Mirrorball
As the confetti settled on the ballroom floor, the conversation immediately shifted to what lies ahead for the franchise. While an official announcement for Season 35 has yet to be made, the staggering viewership numbers of 2025 make a return almost certain. The success of Season 34 has been credited to a perfect blend of “legacy” contestants like Irwin and Hendrix and “new-age” influencers like Earle, a formula that has successfully captured both traditional TV audiences and younger streaming demographics.
For Robert Irwin, the win is a springboard into a new era of his career. While he remains committed to his conservation work at the Australia Zoo, his success on the global stage has solidified his status as a versatile entertainer. His mother, Terri Irwin, summed up the sentiment of the night perfectly, noting that Steve would have been “in awe” of his son’s hard work and spirit. As Robert returns to the “khaki life” in Australia, he does so with a piece of hardware that represents not just a dance victory, but the continued, vibrant legacy of the Irwin name.
