And the winner of season 34 of Dancing with the Stars is…
Robert Irwin and Whitney Carson!
The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy champion was announced at the end of Tuesday night’s three-hour finale after three intense rounds that featured a “Judge’s Choice” dance, an “Instant Dance” and a signature “Freestyle” performance.
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy were runners-up, and Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa were third. Dylan Efron and Daniela Karagach took fourth place, and Elaine Hendricks and Alan Bersten took fifth place.
“The best thing my sister (Bindi Irwin) said to me was, ‘Thank you for changing my life,'” the wildlife conservationist said after her win, referring to her sister’s Season 21 win with Derek Hough.
“Honestly, I’m very grateful to Robert,” Carson added. “I feel like I’ve already achieved a victory with him as a friend. I can’t thank him enough.”
Co-hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro revealed that after a record-breaking season and epic finale, the “gap” between first and second place was “the narrowest they’ve ever seen” in DWTS history.
“Robert, you took that mirror ball home 10 years ago. Now it’s your turn,” Bindi said in a pre-recorded package that aired just before her brother was announced as the winner. “You have this!”
Ahead of the finale, Carson revealed on Monday night that Irwin had been battling pain during rehearsals and had to make last-minute changes to the choreography.
“Robert’s ribs are killing him… We have to change some things involving other dancers and other people,” she told fans via TikTok, referring to her freestyle routine.
“Honestly, that’s the most stressful part because it’s putting everything together and it takes time.”
“By the end of this, we won’t regret it at all,” she added. “I feel like I’ve already achieved a victory with this experience with Robert.”
But Irwin wasn’t the only one dancing through injury this season. Hendrix missed “Halloween Night” last month after injuring his ribs during a performance of “Defying Gravity” a week earlier.
The actress previously revealed to Page Six that she had been battling pain in the weeks leading up to her “Wicked Night” routine.
Meanwhile, Earl gave fans a glimpse of his horrific injury in weekly social media posts featuring behind-the-scenes clips from rehearsals, his journey on “DWTS,” and more.
In addition to announcing a new Mirrorball champion, Tuesday’s three-hour Season 34 finale featured the return of previously eliminated contestants, including Corey Feldman, Hilaria Baldwin, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Andy Richter, and Danielle Fishel.
They all performed together one last time in the show’s opening number, to the Communards’ “Never Can Say Goodbye,” choreographed by Joey Pizzi.
The night also included a special announcement about the upcoming “DWTS: Live!” Hendrix, Fishel and Richter will co-host various performances with professional dancer Emma Slater, while Earle, Efron, Chiles, Irwin and Carson will appear as special guests on select dates.
Fans can visit dwtstour.com for more information and tickets.
