“Dancing With the Stars” contestant Robert Irwin got candid on “The Viall Files” podcast about the heartbreak of losing his father, Steve Irwin, and the journey of carrying on his legacy. The 21-year-old wildlife conservationist opened up about the raw challenges of grief, the power of vulnerability, and the ways he honors the man who shaped his life.
Grief is ‘So Bloody Hard’
Irwin and his “Dancing With the Stars” partner, Witney Carson, sat down with Nick Viall for his podcast recently. During the episode, Robert talked about how important vulnerability is in one’s grief journey.
Irwin got vulnerable himself, saying grief is “part of the deal” in life, but that it’s still “so bloody hard.”
Robert’s father, Steve Irwin, passed away at the age of 44 in 2006. Steve was pierced by a stingray barb while filming in Australia.
“There’s no grief journey that’s easy, and there’s no grief journey that’s the same as the other. But for me to be able to celebrate my dad, to celebrate the person he is, to continue what he loved is the honor of a lifetime,” Robert said, before he broke down in tears and reached out to hold Carson’s hand.
He continued, “I do that with such pride… And I really hope what we all do with a platform is to try and say it’s okay. It’s okay when life’s hard. It’s okay to be vulnerable. And it’s okay sometimes for some days to just be too much. And to just try and keep that light in your heart, try and find the people that lift you up and just lift each other up.”
Dedication Night on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
While we have all witnessed the amazing and emotional performance that Robert and Witney danced this week on “Dancing With the Stars” 2025, this episode of “The Viall Files” was recorded before they performed.
During the interview, Robert added that it’s “okay to find that grief sometimes” and it’s “been the week for it.” He went on to talk about his Dedication Night routine, in which the pair danced a contemporary routine to “You’ll Be in My Heart” with some help from his mother, Terri Irwin.
Robert went on to say, “It’s so powerful because you realize none of us are doing this alone. We’ve all experienced that in some way, and we all will have to be there for each other.”
Praise For His Mother
While this interview focused on the grief of losing his father, Robert talked with PEOPLE after his performance. During that interview, he praised his mother for her “strength” after his father passed away.
He said, “I think, growing up, there’s certain things as a kid that you don’t realize. I mean, a credit to my mum, I never felt as though I ever missed out on anything in life.”
Robert continued, “I always felt, obviously, I was missing a very big part of my life, but she made sure that I never felt I missed out. I got to have such an incredible childhood. But then, as you get a little bit older and you look back and get perspective.”
You can catch Robert and Witney on “Dancing With the Stars” season 34, which airs on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
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Robert Irwin Vulnerably Opens Up About Grief and Honoring His Late Father