Wildlife Conservationist Robert Irwin danced his way to the mirrorball title with his pro partner Witney Carson during the finale episode of Dancing with the Stars on Nov. 25.
Irwin’s win upholds a family legacy as his sister, Bindi Irwin, won the ballroom dance competition a decade ago with her partner, now a judge on the show, Derek Hough. “My sister said it best, thank you for changing my life,” Irwin said after being awarded the mirrorball trophy.
For Carson, this marked her second mirrorball, her first being 11 years ago with the current co-host of the show, Alfonso Ribeiro. “I’m so grateful for Robert honestly,” Carson said. “I feel like I already won with him as my friend, and I can’t thank you enough for this gift.”
The win followed a competitive three-hour finale episode, which featured performances from the eliminated contestants throughout the season, bumper routines from the show’s pro dancers and troupe members, and a special tango performance from the season 33 mirrorball champions Jenna Johnson and Joey Graziadei.
Four other celebrities reached the Season 34 finale of Dancing with the Stars with Irwin: Elaine Hendrix, Jordan Chiles, Alix Earle, and Dylan Efron. The finalists were closely watched by fans as the show received over 72 million votes during the finale, Ribeiro said. Each contestant competed in three rounds of dancing during the episode, which could advance their placement on the leaderboard by earning high scores from the judges.
The first round of competition was the judge’s choice round, where each couple was assigned to either Hough, Bruno Tonioli, or Carrie Ann Inaba. The judge selected a dance style for the couple and worked with them during rehearsal to guide their routine. Earle and Hendrix were standouts in this round with perfect scores from the judges during their samba and rumba routines, respectively.
The finalists faced an instant dance competition in the next round. Each couple blindly selected a dance style for this round and found out what they selected and their song five minutes before performing. Despite the minimal time they had to prepare, Earle and Irwin received perfect scores for their cha cha routines, with Efron also earning top marks for his foxtrot and Chiles for her tango.
The most anticipated performances of each season of the show are the freestyles. It is a classic element of the finale in which the remaining couples can showcase their creativity with minimal rules, blending of dance styles, and large productions. Every couple received a perfect score for their freestyle in this round.
Earle and her pro partner Valentin Chmerkovski performed their freestyle first with a piece that embodied Earle’s confidence growth throughout the season. They danced to a mashup of “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado and “Sports Car” by Tate McRae. Their high scores and fan votes earned them second place in the competition.
Fourth-place finishers Efron and his pro partner Daniella Karagach performed next. His dance to Lewis Capaldi’s “Something in the Heavens” was an emotional contemporary piece, representing the love he developed for dancing.
Hendrix and her pro partner Alan Bersten danced a high-energy piece to “I hope I get It” from the A Chorus Line production. Despite being significantly older than the other finalists and having an injury during the season, Hendrix earned fifth place in the competition.
Mirrorball winners Irwin and Carson performed next with a mashup of “Black and Gold” by Sam Sparro and “The Nights” by Avicii. “I remember you sitting right there at 11 years old,” Hough said following the freestyle performance. “And my man, you are here tonight, and you have just done the most beautiful freestyle.”
Lastly, Chiles and her pro partner Ezra Sosa performed their freestyle to Beyonce’s “Bow Down” and “Motivation” by Normani, who made an appearance during the dance. This performance was particularly significant for Sosa as a newer pro because it was his first time in a Dancing with the Stars finale. Their dancing, which earned them third place in the competition, showcased Chiles as more than just a gymnast.
While not featured in the finale episode, Dancing with the Stars viewers were surprised with one more freestyle this year. Whitney Leavitt from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was eliminated one week short of the finale with her pro partner, Mark Ballas. Despite scoring consistently high throughout the season, the couple lost out on fan votes and received extreme negativity from viewers of the show, likely due to opinions formed of Leavitt in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
The two still created their own freestyle, which was featured on the Call Her Daddy show on YouTube, along with a full interview about their experience on the show. Ballas and Leavitt danced to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” with a performance symbolic of Leavitt’s journey with performing, which turned negative through the hate she received. Despite the overwhelming backlash Leavitt and Ballas experienced, they embrace who they are and begin doing things their own way.
Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars was one of the most competitive seasons yet, with record-breaking voting. While the show has now entered the off-season, the dancing will continue with the Dancing with the Stars Live tour beginning in January of 2026.