Robert Irwin Reveals the DWTS Elimination That Broke His Heart: ‘One of My Best Friends’
For Robert Irwin, Danielle Fishel is much more than a fellow contestant. The 21-year-old conservationist is opening up about Fishcel’s “Dancing with the Stars” elimination, which left him heartbroken. Irwin told Us Weekly he was “absolutely gutted” after his close friend Fishel was sent home during
Disney“Absolutely gutted. Absolutely devastated,” Irwin told US Weekly after Fishel’s exit. “Amongst the contestants here on Dancing With the Stars, she’s the person I think I’ve grown closest to. I consider her one of my best friends in this experience, and she is the most authentic, genuine, incredible human being that leads with this sense of positivity.”
Irwin Praises Fischel For Her ‘Positivity’
He continued, “She walks in the room and everyone instantly feels lighter. The fact that she won’t be in the ballroom anymore, I am gutted, but I think she’s poured so much positivity into our TV screens. She should be incredibly proud of herself.”
Fishel, who performed a contemporary routine with her partner Pasha Pashkov to Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” was eliminated despite a strong performance and high scores. Earlier in the night, the pair earned a perfect team score, making her exit an emotional surprise for fans and fellow contestants, especially for Irwin.
Danielle Fishel’s Emotional Elimination
Fishel and her partner, Pasha Pashkov, were eliminated after performing a moving contemporary routine to Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” The duo earned an impressive 34 out of 40 points from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough, and guest judge Flavor Flav.
Despite delivering one of the most memorable performances of the season and earning a perfect score earlier in the night as part of Team Chicago, the pair’s exit came as a heartfelt surprise to both fans and fellow contestants.
Meanwhile, Irwin and his partner, Witney Carson, advanced safely to the next round. The duo will return for Week 9’s “20th Birthday Celebration” episode, which Carson teased will take their performances in a fresh direction.
“We’re going to have to start again from the bottom and work our way up,” she said. “It’s a challenge, but we’re ready to push harder.”
Terri Irwin Comforts Danielle Fishel in Viral Post-Show Moment
Robert’s mom, Terri Irwin, also made headlines after being spotted comforting Fishel backstage. As per the video posted by Parade, the emotional moment was when the Boy Meets World alum and Terri embraced inside the ballroom after the elimination.
The video showed Terri hugging Fishel tightly and whispering a few words as the crowd began to clear. Although their conversation wasn’t recorded, the tenderness between them was unmistakable. Fishel appeared visibly moved, taking a deep breath and placing her hand on her chest as Terri smiled and offered reassurance.
GBindi Irwin, Terri’s daughter and a DWTS Season 21 champion, commented on the viral video, writing, “Mum… Always the most kind and comforting human being. All the love for Danielle.”
Fishel replied, “Love your whole family so much,” showing that the admiration is mutual.
Jennifer Tilly Blames Sutton for Garcelle's Exit in Shocking RHOBH Season 15 Sneak Peek
The RHOBH
There's a new take on the fractured friendship between Sutton Stracke and Garcelle Beauvais on the upcoming 15th season of
The Season 15 trailer dropped on November 4, and all indications show there might be a more concrete explanation behind the former besties’ Season 14 fallout.
What is clear, however, is when Sutton cuts Jennifer off, demanding, “Please, stop.”
“That’s why Garcelle left,” Jennifer responds as she’s seen walking away from the tension. “Because it’s always all about Sutton.”
In case you need a refresher, Jennifer is referring to Garcelle’s dramatic exit from the series after the Season 14 reunion, which ended with her walking away from production and her castmates.
RELATED: Garcelle Beauvais and Her Ex-Husband Reunite to Celebrate Their Twin Sons’ Big Moment
Why did Garcelle Beauvais leave RHOBH?
Garcelle announced her exit in a March Instagram video, stating, “I've decided to leave Beverly Hills. It's been a wild ride — I mean, some amazing things have happened, and some hard things have also happened — but it's been a ride nevertheless.”
At the time, she cited her twin sons, Jax and Jaid Nilon, entering their final year of high school and multiple TV production projects in the works as reasons behind her decision. However, in an October interview with
It didn’t go unnoticed that Garcelle unfollowed the Season 14 cast on social media around the time of her exit — Sutton included — except for Jennifer and Kathy Hilton.
Related: Here’s What Happened When Garcelle Beauvais Recently Ran Into Mauricio Umansky & PK Kemsley
Why did Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke have a falling out?
While neither Garcelle nor Sutton has explicitly stated the reason for their falling out, Garcelle said she felt unsupported by Sutton after she questioned Kyle Richards’ friendship with Morgan Wade at the Season 14 reunion. She also revealed that she has not spoken to Sutton since the reunion.
Sutton Stracke apologizes for her role in her rift with Garcelle Beauvais
In May, Sutton apologized for being the one who apparently hurt Garcelle the most at the reunion, as pointed out on Jeff Lewis Live. "I'm sorry for that," Sutton said. "I would never want to hurt Garcelle intentionally, so I'm sorry she feels that way, and I'm sorry it went down like that.”
She agreed to give Garcelle her space for the time being.
"I hope that I can rectify things later," Sutton continued. "Sometimes, I think when you're really close with someone, and you get hurt in the relationship, sometimes you need some time away to heal. I'm hoping that we can rectify and fix everything."
