Robert Irwin did not allow an injury to hinder his performance on Dancing With the Stars.
Before his final dance with professional partner Witney Carson, the 21-year-old revealed that he had sustained a rib injury while rehearsing his quickstep routine to Jet‘s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” in preparation for the season 34 finale of the ABC dance competition.
“I’ve been experiencing rib pain because the intercostal muscles of the ribs are under significant tension,” he stated in a video package during the episode aired on Nov. 25, detailing how the dance demanded considerable control over that area of his body. “It’s been progressively worsening.”
Nevertheless, the duo delivered an impressive performance, with judge Derek Hough—who selected the dance for them—referring to Robert as the “quickstep king.”
“It was crisp and clean,” he praised. “The frame was strong. Your movement across that floor was fantastic.”
However, prior to their major performance, Robert was clearly feeling the effects of his injury. As Witney mentioned in a TikTok video on Nov. 24, “We’re kind of falling apart right now.”
