Why Robert Irwin’s Sister & Niece Will Be Skipping the DWTS Wicked Night
The ballroom might have turned into the Ozdust Ballroom for “Wicked Night,” but one key part of the Irwin family will be missing from the audience. Bindi Irwin and her 3-year-old daughter Grace are all set to cheer from home as Robert Irwin prepared for one of his most anticipated performances yet on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“We absolutely adore being in the audience to celebrate Uncle Robert on ‘Dancing With the Stars,'” Bindi shared on Instagram. “This week, Grace has a little cold so we’re going to cheer from our living room.”
She also reminded fans to get their votes in, writing, “Be sure to vote for Robert and Witney on this Wicked night. Text ROBERT to 21523 or abc.com. Voting begins at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT.”
Fans Send Well Wishes to Darling Grace
Bindi’s post was quickly filled with supportive messages from fans. “Get well soon, Graceful Warrior,” one person wrote. Another added, “Wishing you a speedy recovery, little one!”
Their mom, Terri Irwin, also jumped into the comments, writing, “Sending healing hugs! 💕”
It’s no surprise that Bindi knows how it feels to root for a sibling on the show — she herself won “Dancing With the Stars” in 2015 alongside partner Derek Hough, a season fans still remember fondly.
Robert Irwin’s Big Wicked Night Moment
As for Robert, the wildlife conservationist and his partner Witney Carson are performing a Jazz routine to “Dancing Through Life,” sung by Jonathan Bailey in the upcoming “Wicked” movie. Ahead of the episode, Robert shared a playful Instagram clip teasing the performance.
“I’ll say it once again. The responsibility to corrupt my fellow students falls to me,” he lip-synched in rehearsal, referencing one of Bailey’s lines. “Gonna bring the rizz to shiz. You ready to dance through life tomorrow?” he captioned.
Fans flooded the comments, urging him to channel “Prince Fiyero energy” and calling the number “epic.”
A Magical Night for DWTS Fans
“Wicked Night” is one of the most anticipated themes of the season, celebrating the upcoming films “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good.” The episode also features special messages from the movie’s stars — including Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, and Michelle Yeoh — plus a medley of hit songs like “Defying Gravity,” “For Good,” and “Dancing Through Life.”
Robert and Witney have consistently been near the top of the leaderboard since week one. With Bindi and Grace cheering from home and fans ready to vote, the “Team IrWINit” duo is set for another standout performance on “Dancing With the Stars,” airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and streaming the next day on Hulu.
Jenna Johnson Recalls ‘Biggest Fight’ With Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei During ‘DWTS’ Rehearsals
Jenna Johnson and Joey Graziadei “got along very well” during the entirety of Dancing With the Stars — however, the pressure of the finale did get the best of them at one point.
During the Thursday, October 16, episode of the “Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast,” the season 33 winners recalled the heightened intensity of their personal lives surrounding the final dance.
“I low-key had bronchitis. You were moving, trying to figure out where you were gonna live with [your fiancée]
The former Bachelor star, 30, said “the emotions came into play,” and it didn’t help that Johnson was “mad that she was sick.”
“We had to learn a full new hour, like a whole minute and 30 cha-cha on top of a freestyle and it was a full new dance,” Graziadei explained.
Johnson admitted that the main reason behind their disagreement was that she “felt the pressure” on her.
“I knew that you had it in you to win and I did not want to let you down or this opportunity down,” she revealed. “So I was feeling all of the emotions. I was exhausted. I also hadn’t seen my baby or put him to sleep in weeks.”
The pro dancer — who shares son Rome with husband Val Chmerkovskiy — said she was feeling “mom guilt” and everything hit her in this “one moment.”
“We were sitting in studio 5. I will never forget,” she recalled. “My eyes start watering up and you were saying you don’t know how you’re going to move. And I was like, ‘You’re not going to figure out how to move? I haven’t put my son to sleep and I don’t feel like you’re present!’ And you were like, ‘I’m going to have to defend myself on this one.’”
Johnson went on to admit that Graziadei’s line about defending himself is something that she and Chmerkovskiy, 39, still quote to each other.
“It was so genuine, Joey. You weren’t defensive. You were just like, ‘I hear you, but I’m going to have to defend myself on this one,’” she said. “That was our biggest fight. It was incredible.”
Graziadei clarified that he was trying to tell Johnson that he was “all in” and committed to their final dance.
“We’ve been here for eight hours today. Like, I’m here. I’m just letting you know what’s going on outside my life,” he shared.
Following his explanation, Johnson “publicly apologized” to Graziadei.
“It was not my best moment. I’m so sorry,” she said before Graziadei added, “It all worked out. … It’s all good.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
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