Robert Irwin brought fans to tears following his latest performance on Dancing With The Stars after his mother, Terri Irwin, made a surprise appearance. The 21-year-old decided to put the spotlight on his mum for Dedication Night, revealing the impact she made by keeping his late father Steve a part of his life.
The Yahoo Lifestyle team felt collective goosebumps as Phil Collins’ classic ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’ played and Robert and his dance partner Witney Carson took the stage for their contemporary routine. This was the first time friends and family members had been a part of dancers’ routines, and there was an enormous applause when Terri joined her son at the end of the performance.
A visibly emotional Robert and Terri cried as they embraced on the stage.
Watch Robert Irwin’s Dancing With The Stars performance here
Prior to the dance, Robert and Terri both spoke about how losing Steve made it “difficult to smile again for quite a while”.
“This is a moment with my mum that I’ll cherish forever, and I know my dad would be so proud,” he said.
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Robert ended up receiving a total of 35 points from the judges, which included Aussie dancer and two-time mirrorball champion Kym Johnson as a special guest.
This marked his highest score all season and secured his spot in next week’s episode.
‘I’m never gonna recover’
Viewers struggled to hold back tears watching both the performance and Robert’s explanation about why his mum means so much to him, with many admitting that they were “bawling”.
“That was absolutely gorgeous! So beautiful! I love the Irwin family,” one person wrote.
“Damn Robert cutting the onions up in here,” another added.
“I’m never gonna recover from Robert Irwin’s dance,” a fan noted.
“God I knew Robert’s dedication night dance was going to make me cry but still,” someone else remarked.
Robert received a score of 35 for his emotional routine. Photo: Disney+
Robert’s emotionally charged revelation about Terri
Robert recently shared a post on Instagram revealing that it was “an emotional week in rehearsals” as he had been thinking a lot about his mum and her strength.
“I’ve been reminiscing on the times we’ve spent as a family and how she has kept my dad part of my life,” he wrote.
“This dance is for my mum, it’s for anyone who’s lost someone… and it’s for all the strong mothers of the world who deserve our recognition and appreciation.”
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The post was flooded with supportive messages, including a sweet comment from Terri herself.
“I love you forever and always. Together we are strong,” she said.
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