Robert Irwin has put to bed widespread rumours about his mother, Terri Irwin.
One week after wining the mirrorball trophy on US Dancing With The Stars – a trophy his sister Bindi Irwin also took home in 2015 – there was speculation it was Terri’s turn to appear on the dance competition.
Despite the 61-year-old being a hit when she joined Robert on the dance floor for a touching performance honouring her late husband, Steve Irwin, Robert says it’s unlikely she’ll return to the show as a contestant.
“Listen, the petition to have my mum on Dancing With the Stars has begun, and I started it,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in a new interview. “I started this season, and she is firmly like, ‘Nope, I’m not doing it. That’s not for me!’”
‘And I’m like, ‘Well, I’m gonna wear you down,’ so let’s wear her down and get her on there, because I think she would be great.”
Viewers indeed cheered for Terri when she took to the dance floor with Robert for a tear-jerking performance to Phil Collins’ song You’ll Be In My Heart.
Robert, 22, performed the routine with his dance partner on the show, Witney Carson, but in the final seconds Carson stepped off the stage, with Robert’s beloved mum replacing her to finish the dance together.
Following their dance, the young star appeared overcome with emotion as he pulled his mum in for a hug.
Footage from inside the rehearsal room, as Irwin talked about the meaning behind his “dedication dance”, showed it had been an emotional week for Robert, who broke down in tears as he spoke about his father’s death.
“I was two when I lost dad, and as I got older, I started to realise how hard it must be for her. I’ve never really been able to capture what it,” he said, bursting into tears.
“I’ve never been able to capture the feeling of gratitude that I feel for her. At every milestone, I just wished that my dad was there. She was there, and that was enough.
“I struggled a lot with losing my dad – a lot. And she always made sure my dad was present in our lives. I want her to know how proud my dad would be of her.”
The moving routine earned him unanimous praise from the judges, and a total score of 35 out of 40.