Wildlife presenter Robert Irwin has triumphed on the US version of Dancing With The Stars, achieving victory despite performing with a significant rib injury that threatened to derail his entire competition.
The Painful Path To Victory
A clearly elated Robert Irwin and his professional dance partner Witney Carson appeared on Good Morning America following their big win, where the subject of Robert's injured ribs immediately became a central topic of discussion.
'You injured your rib, but you pressed on. So, how's the injury now?' co-host Michael Strahan asked the young conservationist.
Robert admitted that although he's gradually recovering, the injury continues to cause him considerable discomfort. 'We're getting there,' Robert replied optimistically. 'It's painful. But no pain, no gain. It's all good!'
The 20-year-old was quick to praise his dance partner Witney for her flexibility in adapting their routines to accommodate his physical limitations during the crucial final performances.
Adapting Under Pressure
'We wanted to push through. Witney was amazing in changing up some of the moves that we had to do in there,' he explained with genuine appreciation.
'We had to change on the fly, but our last dance, that freestyle, was our way to say "thank you" to everybody who had been on that journey.'
Robert emphasised their determination to succeed despite the physical setback, noting: 'We knew we had to make it work because it was a way to say we were so grateful for this experience.'
In a characteristically tough response to co-host George Stephanopoulos's question about whether he was having trouble breathing, Robert brushed off concerns with a classic Australian dismissal. 'Yeah, but it's all good. It'll be right,' Robert replied casually.
He attributed his ability to push through the pain to the sheer enjoyment of the experience: 'Honestly, we were having that much fun that I didn't even realise there was an issue until the end because the adrenaline and the passion and the fun of it all, it overrides anything.'
A Nail-Biting Finale
Robert and Witney emerged triumphant over a highly competitive field that included social media influencer Alix Earle, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, actor Elaine Hendrix, and Dylan Efron, brother of Hollywood star Zac Efron.
The couples performed three demanding dances during the marathon finale - an instant dance challenge, judges' choice, and a freestyle routine.
The pair scored 29 out of a possible 30 points for their first performance, before achieving perfect scores for their final two dances, demonstrating remarkable improvement despite Robert's physical condition.
The competition proved incredibly close, with Robert and Witney finishing the night tied second on the leaderboard with Jordan Chiles on 89 points, sitting just behind Alix Earle who led with 90 points.
However, the fan-favourite couple were ultimately declared winners thanks to a combined total of judges' scores and public votes, proving their popularity with audiences.
Before their winning performance, Witney had revealed on TikTok that Robert had been managing the rib injury throughout the lead-up to the finale, with the wildlife presenter practising routines through gritted teeth.
'Robert's ribs have been killing him,' she confessed in a behind-the-scenes video, adding that despite the injury, Robert remained determined to rehearse extensively.
'Knowing Robert, he's going to want to rehearse until the very last second,' Witney explained. 'Last night, we stayed at the studio until it closed down. They had to kick us out at nine pm. We're going to have absolutely no regrets by the end of this.'
Lifting Mirrorball Trophies has now become an Irwin family tradition, with Robert's sister Bindi Irwin having won the coveted prize back in 2015 during her own appearance on the American dancing competition.
