Robert Irwin is just three routines away from being the second member of his family to hoist the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The conservationist who has wowed the crowds every week on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars did it again on Tuesday night’s (Nov. 18) Prince-themed episode, when he and partner Witney Carson landed one perfect score and one near-perfect rating for their flawless routines.
The couple danced a jive to Prince & the Revolution’s “Baby I’m a Star,” which kicked off with Irwin leaping off the judge’s table in perfect time to one of the late pop icon’s high-pitched squeals, then sliding on his knees toward Carson and doing a gravity-defying stand-up move from a prone, flat-on-the-floor position.
From there, the couple pulled off fancy footwork, spins and acrobatic moves that would have made the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer proud, including a tricky maneuver where Carson flipped Irwin over her back, earning them a perfect score of 30.
Their sensual routine to Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL’s “WOW” found the pair dressed in leather, sheer tops and iridescent purple for a stunning Viennese Waltz in which they swooned around the floor, their bodies moving in time as one. It ended with Irwin spinning Carson in circles as she hovered just inches above the floor before he let go and slid on his knees to meet her for a final, sensual embrace.
Irwin’s younger sister, Bindi Irwin, won season 21 of DWTS in 2015.
The night also featured the first drop-in from Zac Efron (The Iron Claw), who showed up to support younger brother Dylan Efron (The Traitors), who made it through to the finale with a tango to Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” and a second dance to “Kiss,” which earned Efron and professional partner Daniella Karagach a 28 out of 30.
And, because that’s how these things go, someone had to have their dance card punched for the final time. Despite getting the third-highest score of the night for their cha cha to “1999” and a waltz to “Slow Love,” MomTok and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas were sent home in what the internet deemed a “shocking” elimination.
The three-hour, three-round season 34 finale (Nov. 25) will feature influencer Alix Earle with partner Val Chmerkovskiy, Efron and Karagach, Irwin and Carson, gymnast Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa and Parent Trap actress Elaine Hendrix with Alan Bersten; the show will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
Watch Irwin’s Dancing With the Stars routine to Prince’s “WOW” and “Baby I’m a Star” below:
