Will Terri Irwin Compete on DWTS Next? Robert Irwin Says…

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Robert Irwin wants to keep the Mirrorball in the family. 

Following his win on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars with partner Witney Carson – ten years after his sister Bindi Irwin won – the Australian wildlife conservationist discussed the possibility of his mother, Terri Irwin, competing on the show in the future.

Robert jokingly told TopMob News’ Will Marfuggi after the November 26th finale that more members of the Irwin-Carson family should continue dancing. Witney agreed, saying she’d already encouraged Terri to do so.

Despite his impressive victory, Robert was most thrilled to have reached a goal his sister had achieved in 2015 – she was there to witness his success. He described feeling incredibly moved and thankful.

Robert said he’s most thankful for this opportunity. He’s proud to represent Wildlife Warriors and his work at Australia Zoo, and to champion conservation. He’s also excited to create a lasting impact through his work with Witney, sharing inspiring stories about hope, honesty, enthusiasm, and enjoyment.

Although the 21-year-old was thrilled to win the top prize on the ABC reality dance show, he immediately made sure to acknowledge and thank his dance partner.

Robert went on to say that Witney truly deserves the recognition. He explained that she’s incredibly giving, manages a lot, and inspires him and countless others.

You know, seeing Robert Irwin win was amazing, but as someone who follows these journeys closely, it was clear he’d already gained so much from just being on the show. It wasn’t about the crown for him – it was about everything he learned and experienced along the way, and honoring his mom, Terri, and his incredible dad, Steve.

It absolutely broke my heart seeing Robert’s post on Instagram before the finale! He wrote, ‘I’m gonna miss this,’ and it really hit me how much this whole journey meant to him – and to all of us fans. He thanked Witney for the amazing memories, saying he’d treasure them forever, and then signed off with a sweet ‘One last night to dance – see you tomorrow, America.’ It was such a perfect, emotional goodbye, and I’m still getting a little teary thinking about it!

Witney said Robert was pushing himself to the limit right up to his final dance. In a TikTok post on November 24th, she explained they wanted to finish the competition with no regrets.

Want to know more about Dancing With the Stars than what you see on the dance floor? Read on to discover the show’s biggest behind-the-scenes secrets!

In 2019, Variety reported that celebrities appearing on Dancing With the Stars initially earn $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show. According to sources, contestants who advance further receive additional payments each week, potentially reaching a total of $295,000.

However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.

The radio personality shared on Jason Tartick’s podcast, Trading Secrets, in September 2025 that the show’s pay structure was unusual. They explained they weren’t paid for the first episode, but earned $10,000 for the second. The pay then increased, going from $10,000 to $20,000 per episode, eventually reaching $50,000 per episode for those who continued with the show.

In addition to a salary of about $110,000, Bones revealed he earned nearly $400,000 from the show.

ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.

I’ve been following the show for ages, and one thing that’s always been a mystery is how much the professional dancers actually earn. It’s not really public knowledge, but from what I’ve gathered, it seems like the longer they stay on the show, the more they get paid – just like the celebrity contestants!

But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.

Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of the The Morning After podcast, hosted by Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester, that dancers are typically guaranteed work for a specific number of weeks. However, she added that contracts vary and she couldn’t comment on everyone’s situation.

Apparently not.

Professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars, like Jenna Johnson, don’t earn extra money for winning the show—even though the winning trophy is now named after the late Len Goodman. Johnson, who has won twice—once with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and again with Joey Graziadei from The Bachelor—explains that simply reaching the finale is still a valuable achievement, beyond just the prestige.

She explained on The Morning After that reaching the finale means you receive full-season pay plus a bonus. However, winning isn’t about a large cash prize; it’s just a shared trophy for the winning couple.

That doesn’t appear to be the case.

I remember Lindsay Arnold sharing a really vulnerable story on the Trading Secrets podcast. She talked about how her income was drastically reduced – more than 50%, actually – when she transitioned from being a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars to a troupe member. It just goes to show, even people who seem to have it all figured out face unexpected financial challenges in this industry.

The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.

On the May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers’ podcast, Hot Smart Rich, Lindsay explained that people in these situations have no input. She said it’s often simply, ‘Here’s who you’re with—now make the relationship work.’

In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.

Jenna explained on The Morning After that the show’s producers intentionally keep the cast a secret until the live reveal. People often assume the hosts know who’s participating, but that’s not true – the producers don’t even tell them. They want to capture the genuine surprise and reaction, so they keep the cast list extremely confidential to avoid leaks until the contestants meet their partners.

As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?

According to former showrunner Rob Wade, the show’s pairings weren’t random. In a 2015 interview with TopMob News, he explained that they considered height, body type, personality, and how well contestants would get along. They avoided pairing people who they thought wouldn’t connect, as the experience was already very intense. Unlike shows like The Bachelor, forcing a bad match would create a negative experience for everyone involved – the celebrity, the production team, and the audience. He admitted they’d made that mistake in the past, pairing people who simply didn’t click.

Dancing with the Stars requires a huge time commitment. Rylee Arnold, who partnered with Stephen Nedoroscik in season 33, explained on the Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis that rehearsals typically last four hours, either from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. But the work doesn’t end there – she often has meetings with producers or the creative team, practices choreography, or studies dance videos. Rylee says her entire life revolves around the show, but she loves it and finds it fulfilling. It’s a demanding schedule with rehearsals happening Tuesday through Sunday, followed by camera blocking on Monday and then another show on Tuesday – there are no days off!

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in a September 2025 Instagram video that they were mostly in agreement, but it involved working together with the show’s producers.

If you think the quickstep dance is fast-paced, you should see how quickly the costume department works! Costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained to TV Insider that they collaborate with set, lighting, and dance teams to create a unique story for each dancer’s outfit. Then, they have just five days – sometimes only half a day per costume, before adding rhinestones – to create everything. The department employs around 20 people, plus a separate tailor shop, making it a large operation.

Steven Norman Lee, another costume designer, shared that dancers often don’t try on their costumes until just hours before the show. While they might re-use pants for male dancers, most costumes are made from scratch each week.

Gschwendtner added that while they do reuse items for group performances or promotional photos, they avoid reusing anything for the actual competition. They strive to keep the looks fresh and new each week to maintain visual interest for the audience.

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2025-11-26 18:47