The Dancing with the Stars contestants took the ballroom stage for their final performances during Tuesday’s season 34 finale.
Robert Irwin, 21, Alix Earle, 24, Jordan Chiles, 24, Elaine Hendrix, 54, and Dylan Efron, 33, battled it out for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, with each celebrity taking three turns on the dance floor.
After three passionate performances, it was Robert — who is the son of late zookeeper Steve Irwin — who took home the win, despite being injured.
The competition went down to the wire, as Robert scored 89, only a single point shy of Alix’s perfect 90. But with the help of votes from viewers, it was the wildlife conservationist who won.
Winning Dancing with the Stars has officially become a family tradition, as his sister Bindi Irwin, 27, who watched from the audience with their mom Terri, won season 21.
Hours before the finale it was revealed that Robert suffered an injury to his ribs, with his dance partner Witney Carson sharing that they have been ‘killing him.’
The Dancing with the Stars contestants hit the ballroom for their final performances in Tuesday’s season 34 finale, with Robert Irwin, 21, and Alix Earle, 24, emerging as the top two
After three passionate performances, it was Robert — who is the son of late zookeeper Steve Irwin — who took home the win
Robert proudly posed with the trophy, which he won despite suffering an injury to his ribs just hours before
He was pictured enthusiastically celebrating the win
The dances — judged by Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough — were divided into the Judges’ Choice Round, Instant Dance Challenge and Freestyle Round.
All eliminated contestants rejoined the action on the dance floor during the night’s events, including Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria Baldwin and Corey Feldman.
Robert danced a quickstep to Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl for the Judges’ Choice Round.
Derek helped coach Robert in the rehearsals.
‘Your dad taught me so much. You have not just been carrying that torch. You have been dancing it, man,’ he told him.
Robert also opened up about his rib injury, sharing that he was in pain.
His partner said, ‘I’m extremely worried about Robert. And this is where my motherly instincts come in. At the end of the day, his health is my priority.’
‘I don’t want you to change choreography yet,’ he told her, saying they could save it as a plan B, though he worried that if he pushed any harder ‘my body’s going to break.’
But his first dance was smooth despite the injury.
Derek was impressed, stating, ‘It was crispy clean and your frame was strong and across that floor, it was fantastic. You always bring your a-game. Well done, both of you.’
Bruno was also thrilled, stating, ‘He had the acceleration of the cheetah and the footwork like a gazelle, and the power of a lion.’
Carrie Ann had a small criticism, for which she was instantly booed.
‘There was a bit of a… I’m sorry. I am sorry. But, look, this is what we are competing for tonight. I don’t want to give it to anybody that doesn’t absolutely deserve it, and that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it, and there are two more rounds of competition and I’m pointing it out.’
Robert was emotional during the big moment, after shedding tears and saying he wanted to make his late father proud earlier on in the show
Wildlife conservationist Robert danced a quickstep to Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl for the Judges’ Choice Round
Hours before the finale it was revealed that Robert suffered an injury to his ribs, with his dance partner Witney Carson sharing that they have been ‘killing him’
The dances were judged by Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli
But his first dance was smooth despite the injury. Derek was impressed, stating, ‘It was crispy clean and your frame was strong and across that floor, it was fantastic’
He got a 9 from Carrie Ann, and 10’s from Bruno and Derek, for a score of 29 out of 30 on his first dance
For his second dance, Robert did the cha cha
He ripped his shirt open at the end of the dance
The dance earned him a 30 out of 30
He got a 9 from Carrie Ann, and 10’s from Bruno and Derek, for a score of 29 out of 30 on his first dance.
For his second dance, Robert did the cha cha, which earned him a 30 out of 30.
He and Witney later return to the dance floor for a freestyle routine to Sam Sparro’s Black & Gold and Avicii’s The Nights, which earned them the perfect score.
‘I want this Freestyle to say thank you to America,’ Robert said in rehearsals. He started crying to his partner and said he wanted to make his dad proud with this last dance. ‘I wish he could see it, I really wish he could be here.’
‘Robert, I remember in this very room sitting right there at 11 years old, and now you had just done the most beautiful Freestyle. You are a dancer. You are a phenomenal human being,’ Derek told him.
Bruno said ‘he sees you,’ referring to his late dad. ‘What he’s gonna say is, “Mate that was a solid gold 24-karat performance.”‘
Before he was announced the winner, Robert got a special shot out from actor Russell Crowe, who cheered him on via a video message, quoting his iconic Gladiator line, ‘At my signal, unleash hell.’
He also had support from his mom and sister Bindi, who told him it was his turn to bring the trophy home, 10 years after her iconic win.
Meanwhile social media sensation Alix and her pro partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, performed a samba to Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club des Belugas for the Judges’ Choice Round.
Carrie Ann, who guided the couple in rehearsals, said, ‘You’ve developed your own signature style. I call it, like, refined fierceness, because you’re so refined and you’re doing, like, the technique perfectly.’
‘You’ve got so much content in that dance. It was just brilliant. And I’m so proud of you. And you performed the heck out of it, girl.’
Derek gushed: ‘Whatever Carrie Ann told you it worked because that was so good. It really was.’
He and Witney later return to the dance floor for a freestyle routine to Sam Sparro’s Black & Gold and Avicii’s The Nights, which earned them the perfect score
Bruno said ‘he sees you,’ referring to his late dad. ‘What he’s gonna say is, “Mate that was a solid gold 24-karat performance”‘
Robert showed off his rib injury in the rehearsals
He broke down in rehearsals while speaking about his late father Steve and how he wanted to make him proud
Winning Dancing with the Stars has officially become a family tradition, as his sister Bindi Irwin, 27, who watched from the audience with their mom Terri, won season 21
Bindi was pictured celebrating her brother’s win
After his win he posed with his mom and sister
Actor Russell Crowe cheered him on via a video message, quoting his iconic Gladiator line, ‘At my signal, unleash hell’
He also had support from his mom and sister Bindi, who told him it was his turn to bring the trophy home, 10 years after her iconic win
Bruno was also thrilled, telling the couple: ‘Fasten your seat belt. It’s gonna be a hot night. She cranked up the heat to full blast. You were not good. You were incandescent!’
They got 10 from all the judges, for a 30 out of 30 on their first dance.
For their Instant Dance Challenge they danced to ‘Where The Hell Is My Husband’ by Raye.
Bruno was thrilled: ‘Week one and now, I mean, the transformation is incredible. Your foot placement, the hips, the performance level. Brilliant.’
Both Carrie Ann and Derek praised Alix as well.
Alix earned a 30 out of 30 on her second dance.
For their freestyle routine, the duo danced to a mash-up of Nelly Furtado’s Maneater and Tate McRae’s Sports Car.
Ahead of the third dance, Alix shared in rehearsals that coming in to the competition for the first time she was ‘scared of my own shadow.’
‘Now I feel like a more confident person, and even the moments I did doubt myself, you were always there reassuring me. And I have to stop crying,’ an emotional Alix shared.
The duo’s steamy freestyle thrilled the audience and Derek, who called Alix a ‘superstar.’
Bruno shouted: ‘Alix the dominatrix unleashed! You were like a she-wolf. Leader of the pack. Nothing can stand in your way!’
Meanwhile an emotional Carrie Ann said, ‘I’m just really touched by you… I just think you are fabulous and want to see what you do next.’
Afterwards Alix praised her time on the show as a dream experience, before getting a 30 out of 30, for a perfect total score of 90 for the night.
Alix’s boyfriend, NFL star Braxton Berrios, cheered her on via video message, telling her to ‘have fun.’
Social media sensation Alix and her pro partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, performed a samba to Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club des Belugas for the Judges’ Choice Round
Carrie Ann, who guided the couple in rehearsals, said, ‘You’ve developed your own signature style. I call it, like, refined fierceness, because you’re so refined’
Derek gushed: ‘Whatever Carrie Ann told you it worked because that was so good. It really was’
They got 10 from all the judges, for a 30 out of 30 on their first dance
For their Instant Dance Challenge they danced to ‘Where The Hell Is My Husband’ by Raye
Alix earned a 30 out of 30 on her second dance
For their freestyle routine, the duo danced to a mash-up of Nelly Furtado’s Maneater and Tate McRae’s Sports Car
Afterwards Alix praised her time on the show as a dream experience, before getting a 30 out of 30, for a perfect total score of 90 for the night
At the end of the night the two were on top of the leaderboard, but the trophy eluded them
Alix’s boyfriend, NFL star Braxton Berrios, cheered her on via video message, telling her to ‘have fun’
Zac Efron’s brother Dylan and his partner Daniella Karagach danced a paso doble for the Judges’ Choice Round to Stampede by Alexander Jean.
Bruno — who was celebrating his 70th birthday during the show — coached Dylan during the rehearsals.
‘Bruno’s always seen something in me. He’s always told me I’m the person that’s holding myself back. So I’m giving this paso everything I’ve got,’ Dylan said ahead of his performance.
Right off the bat, Dylan thrilled the audience as he ripped off his shirt to reveal his muscles and six pack.
Bruno was proud of the performance, ‘Let’s be real. That torso. Michelangelo himself could not have sculpted a better shape. My darling. I’m actually. I’m speechless. You completely throw me.’
Carrie Ann said: ‘Think back to how far you’ve come is really incredible. And tonight, like, really showcasing being vulnerable. I mean, I know chest open is great for everybody. It’s also very vulnerable because we’re watching every single line. And this is all about shaping.’
‘I thought some of the shape, there was just one thing that was bugging me. Just the hands got a little flat. We have one more round. Okay. Actually, no, we have two more rounds, so there’s plenty of time.’
Carrie Ann and Derek have him 9’s, and Bruno a 10, for a total of 28 out of 30 on his first dance.
Zac Efron’s brother Dylan Efron, 33, and his partner Daniella Karagach danced a paso doble for the Judges’ Choice Round to Stampede by Alexander Jean
Right off the bat, Dylan thrilled the audience as he ripped off his shirt to reveal his muscles and six pack
Bruno was proud of the performance, ‘Let’s be real. That torso. Michelangelo himself could not have sculpted a better shape. My darling. I’m actually. I’m speechless’
Carrie Ann said: ‘Think back to how far you’ve come is really incredible. And tonight, like, really showcasing being vulnerable’
Carrie Ann and Derek have him 9’s, and Bruno a 10, for a total of 28 out of 30 on his first dance
For his Instant Dance Challenge Dylan danced a Foxtrot to ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren
All three judges were left speechless, giving him a score of 30 out of 30
For his Instant Dance Challenge Dylan danced a Foxtrot to ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren.
All three judges were left speechless by Dylan’s second dance, heaping praise on him and giving him a score of 30 out of 30.
The duo later performed a freestyle to ‘Something In The Heavens’ by Lewis Capaldi for their third dance.
Dylan cried as he practiced the final dance with his partner.
He said that he wasn’t happy with himself with the first few weeks of the competition, but since he made the finale ‘I feel proud of myself now.’
Bruno called the dance calling ‘beautiful’ and said they captured the ‘elusive quality of a dream.’
Derek said Dylan embodies a ‘kind masculinity.’
They earned a perfect score from the judges.
Parent Trap actress Elaine and her pro partner Alan Bersten danced a rumba to ‘Take My Breath Away’ by Jae Hall.
They were coached by Derek in the rehearsals, with Elaine saying she was going to give it ‘my all’ to make him proud.
Derek called the performance ‘exquisite’ while Bruno said it was ‘pure class.’
‘The perfect balance of sensuality and elegance, the fluidity and the smoothness was like the best silk,’ he added.
The duo later performed a freestyle to ‘Something In The Heavens’ by Lewis Capaldi for their third dance. Dylan cried as he practiced the final dance with his partner
He said that he wasn’t happy with himself with the first few weeks of the competition, but since he made the finale ‘I feel proud of myself now’
Bruno called the dance calling ‘beautiful’ and said they captured the ‘elusive quality of a dream’
Derek said Dylan embodies a ‘kind masculinity.’ They earned a perfect score from the judges
Carrie Ann gushed: ‘I have been waiting and waiting for you to do a dance like this where we really get to see just you, the person that you are. You know, dance is more than just the steps, it’s what you do in between the steps.’
‘Alan, thank you for giving us this choreography where I could see Elaine and all her passion. That was beautifully expressive and exquisite. Beautiful, beautiful.’
Before getting their scores, host Julianne asked: ‘Elaine, you had to stop dancing over 30 years ago because of a car accident that you had. Did you ever think that you would be here on Dancing With the Stars as a finalist?’
Elaine replied: ‘No, I did not. But let me tell you something. What this proves is that please get up. Get out and say yes. Say yes to yourself and do what you’ve always wanted to do. Because this has been incredible.’
They received 10 from all the judges, for a 30 out of 30 on their first dance.
Elaine returned with a Quickstep for her Instant dance, with Derek calling her ‘sensational’ and ‘The Quickstep Queen’, though all three judges pointed out small issues.
The pair received a 27 out of 30 for the second dance.
Later they came back to dance a freestyle to I Hope I Get It (from A Chorus Line) by District 78.
‘That really was a deliciously crafted theatrical treat,’ Bruno gushed. ‘You did a fantastic job since day one.’
The duo earned a perfect score for the magical performance.
Parent Trap actress Elaine Hendrix, 54, and her pro partner Alan Bersten danced a rumba to ‘Take My Breath Away’ by Jae Hall
Derek called the performance ‘exquisite’ while Bruno said it was ‘pure class’
‘The perfect balance of sensuality and elegance, the fluidity and the smoothness was like the best silk,’ he added
They received 10 from all the judges, for a 30 out of 30 on their first dance
Elaine returned with a Quickstep for her Instant dance
Derek called her ‘sensational’ and ‘The Quickstep Queen’, though all three judges pointed out small issues. The pair received a 27 out of 30 for the second dance
Later they came back to dance a freestyle to ‘I Hope I Get It (from A Chorus Line)’ by District 78
The dance earned them a perfect score
Olympic gold medalist Jordan and her pro partner, Ezra Sosa, danced a paso doble to Breakin’ Dishes by Rihanna.
They were coached by Carrie Ann.
Carrie Ann had a bit of criticism, stating: ‘You are a pleasure to work with because you are so intense. I love that you attack every movement full out. I think this number when you first started, your attack was a little too strong and it felt like it disconnected you just a tiny bit. But I love that you focused on the spots we worked on, and you created the space.’
Derek was more impressed, telling the pair: ‘You did it, that was clean, precise, the twist and turns and keeping the steps, and all fantastic.’
Bruno said, ‘Your power and focus, it was like watching an old concrete invincible warrior. The queen of the Amazon. You just go for it with so much determination, darling. You are great.’
While Bruno and Derek gave her 10’s, Carrie Ann went with a 9, for a total of 29 out of 30.
Her Instant dance scored her a 30 out of 30.
Later, they took the stage again for a freestyle routine to Motivation by Normani.
Bruno was thrilled telling her: ‘You reach new heights with this incredible showstopper. Queen B herself would love it. It has been a night of showstoppers.’
They received 30 out of 30 for their final score.
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles, 24, and her pro partner, Ezra Sosa, danced a paso doble to Breakin’ Dishes by Rihanna
Carrie Ann had a bit of criticism, stating: ‘I love that you attack every movement full out. I think this number when you first started, your attack was a little too strong’
Derek was more impressed, telling the pair: ‘You did it, that was clean, precise, the twist and turns and keeping the steps, and all fantastic’
While Bruno and Derek gave her 10’s, Carrie Ann went with a 9, for a total of 29 out of 30
Her Instant dance scored her a 30 out of 30
Later, they took the stage again for a freestyle routine to Motivation by Normani. They received 30 out of 30 for their final score
Singer Ciara gave Jordan a shout out via a video message
Reigning champion Joey Graziadei also reunited with his former partner, Jenna Johnson, for a performance to Tanguera by Fabio Hager Sexteto.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, actress Danielle Fishel, and comedian Andy Richter also appeared on the episode.
Former DWTS contestant Stephen Nedoroscik was joined by girlfriend Tess McCracken in the audience. Also present was Bruce Willis’ daughter, Rumer, who won season 20, and Milo Manheim, who competed on season 27.
Just hours before the finale, Robert’s dance partner Witney gave the ‘stressful’ update in a TikTok video on Monday, but ensured fans that he will still perform.
‘Today at blocking it is a little stressful because we just have to make the freestyle all come together,’ she explained while filming a ‘get ready with me’ reel.
‘Robert’s ribs have been killing him,’ Carson then shared. ‘And more will be revealed on Tuesday, and you guys can get a better idea of what we’ve been dealing with all week.’
The dancer explained that she had to make ‘changes’ to ‘things that involve the other dancers and involve the other guys.’
‘So, it’s just honestly the most stressful part because this is just getting it all together and it’s gonna time some time, and we’re gonna have to run it a lot and just make sure that everything is coming together for Tuesday.’
Later in the clip, Carson gushed about working with Irwin throughout the season while also encouraging fans to vote.
All eliminated contestants rejoined the action on the dance floor during the night’s events, including Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria Baldwin
Corey Feldman also made an appearance
Corey was joined by Britt Stewart, Baron Davis, and Jenna Johnson
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, actress Danielle Fishel, and comedian Andy Richter also appeared on the episode
Reigning champion Joey Graziadei reunited with his former partner, Jenna, for a performance to Tanguera by Fabio Hager Sexteto
The final five posed together for the last time
They also posed with their pros
The show was hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough
Former DWTS contestant Stephen Nedoroscik was joined by girlfriend Tess McCracken in the audience. Also present was Bruce Willis’ daughter, Rumer, who won season 20, and Milo Manheim, who competed on season 27
‘I really do feel like I’ve already won in this experience with Robert as my partner,’ she said.
‘And the experiences and the memories that we’ve shared have been so special, and just this entire season just feels like the biggest gift.’
Carsen then voiced gratitude for the votes they have gotten in past weeks and ‘for getting us into the finale.’
Past winners include Robert’s sister Bindi, as well as Xochitl Gomez, Charli D’Amelio, Iman Shumpert, Kaitlyn Bristowe and more.
