Another season of Dancing with the Stars is on the way — and ABC has already announced its first celebrity dancer.
Robert Irwin, 21, will be joining the competition, following in the footsteps of his sister Bindi, who won the Mirrorball Trophy in 2015 with her dancing partner, Derek Hough. Their father was famed Australian conservationist Steve Irwin, known as the “Crocodile Hunter,” who was killed by a stingray at 44 years old in 2006.
Dancing with the Stars wrapped another successful season on ABC this past fall, ranking as the top show among adults 18 to 49 in Live+Same Day viewing, Deadline reported. Season 33 broke several records and crowned The Bachelor alum Joey Graziadei and professional Jenna Johnson as the winners.
ABC hasn’t announced when the latest season of Dancing with the Stars will premiere, but the new season is expected to start sometime in mid- to late September. Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro will return as hosts, while Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough will return as judges.
The show will air live on ABC and Disney+ and be available for streaming the next day on Hulu.
Here’s who has been cast for the upcoming season.
Robert Irwin
Robert Irwin at the 2024 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2024. (Phil Noble/Reuters)
Irwin is a wildlife conservationist like his dad and lives in Australia. He, along with his mom and sister, works with wildlife at the Australia Zoo.
“All I can say is, crikey! Holy moly,” Irwin said at Hulu’s Get Real event on Tuesday. In true Irwin fashion, he had a snake around his neck. “I cannot tell you what a privilege, what an honor it is to be joining this season.”
“This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid watching my sister’s incredible journey on the show,” Irwin posted on Instagram. “I cannot believe it is about to become a reality. So grateful.”
