Dancing With the Stars fans already have high expectations for Robert Irwin‘s season 34 debut — and so does his sister, Bindi Irwin.
“I’m just going to get real for a second, I’m so nervous,” Robert, 21, exclusively told Us Weekly this month ahead of the annual Steve Irwin Gala, which took place May 10 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. “I’m really nervous.”
Robert joked that showing off his moves in the DWTS ballroom makes him more nervous than “jumping on a crocodile” or any of his work as a wildlife conservationist. “I just don’t really know what to expect,” he continued.
Despite his nerves, Robert is “excited” about the new experience and feels lucky to have a former mirrorball champion in his corner. (Bindi, 26, won season 21 of the ballroom dance competition in 2015 with pro partner Derek Hough.)
“You have no idea how grateful I am to have Bindi, who went through this experience,” he told Us. “Not only did she do Dancing With the Stars, I mean, she won Dancing With the Stars and just was such an incredible shining light. I remember watching [her] on that show just thinking, ‘This is the coolest thing ever.'”
While supporting his sister’s journey on the series, Robert admitted that there was “a little part” of him that wanted to try DWTS for himself. He joked that Bindi has her “work cut out” when it comes to sharing tips and tricks. “I’m going to need all that help I can get. I’m not a dancer,” he teased.
Bindi, however, thinks her brother will quickly become a fan favorite. “You can learn to dance, but the genuine passion, dedication, determination that comes from within, and that’s what I think will set you apart, because you genuinely are a really good human,” she gushed, telling Us that Robert “has way more rhythm and cool factor” than other family members. “[Robert is] one of the kindest, most wonderful human beings I’ve ever known. So he’s got this. He has nothing to be worried about.”
She added, “All we have to be worried about is him breaking the internet every week.”
When news broke in April that Robert was set to join the upcoming DWTS season, Bindi was quick to celebrate. “DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON 34 – LET’S GOOOO!” she wrote via Instagram. “Robert, you are going to absolutely shine in the ballroom. I wish I could express the magnitude of how proud I am of you and everything you have achieved.”
Her caption continued, “[I] can’t wait to cheer you on each week as you inspire so many with your strength, kindness and determination. Here’s to an extraordinary journey ahead. … So excited to be back in the ballroom celebrating my brother ????.”
While no clues have been revealed yet regarding Robert’s pro partner, Rylee Arnold previously expressed her interest in dancing with the Aussie during a 2024 podcast interview. Fellow pro Alan Bersten, for his part, couldn’t be more excited that Robert was the first celeb dancer to be revealed.
“I think [he’s] probably the best person they could have announced. He’s so popular right now, and he’s just such a good person to be on the show,” he exclusively told Us last month. “There’s videos of him from 10 years ago just sitting there in awe of his sister and now he gets a chance to do it. It’s really good. I’m really excited.”
Dancing With the Stars returns to ABC this fall.
