Robert Irwin has had a strong start to his stint on season 34 of “Dancing With the Stars,” but that’s not the only reason the Australia native has quickly become a breakout star.
Irwin, who is partnered with season 19 champ Witney Carson, has blown the competition out of the water when it comes to YouTube views. The 21-year-old conservationist is the only contestant from this season to see more than 1 million views on his dance videos.
Robert Irwin’s Dance Videos Have Gone Viral
Irwin and Carson hit it out of the park with their premiere night dance, a Jive set to “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf.
With judge Carrie Ann Inaba out sick on Night 1, the duo landed at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 15. Judge Derek Hough dubbed their routine “probably the best first dance I’ve ever seen on this show.”
The memorable performance has racked up a whopping 1.9 million views on YouTube in the weeks since.
Similarly, Irwin and Carson’s Tango during Week 2’s One-Hit Wonders Night saw them in a tie for the top spot with a score of 22. But again, their dance routine soared in terms of YouTube views, reaching 1.6 million as of publication.
Irwin – the son of late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and wife Terri Irwin – has consistently outshined his competition when it comes to post-show streams: Week 3’s TikTok Night Salsa quickly surpassed 1.4 million, while Week 4’s Disney Night Cha Cha was viewed more than 850,000 times, and Week 5’s Dedication Night Contemporary sits at 1.3 million views in just two days.
Removing Irwin from the picture, Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa’s One-Hit Wonders Night Jive set to Michael Sembellos’ “Maniac” would be the most-viewed performance of the season thus far with less than 600,000 views.
Can Robert Irwin Turn Viral Fame Into a Mirrorball Win?
If YouTube numbers had a direct correlation to Mirrorball wins, Irwin and Carson would be a shoo-in. However, past seasons have proved that high YouTube views and social media buzz are not enough to carry a dancer to the end.
Season 33’s Stephen Nedoroscik hit the dance floor fresh off the plane from the Paris Olympics after helping Team USA medal in Men’s Gymnastics. Partnered with Rylee Arnold, the duo got off to a strong start, scoring 21 for their Jive during Week 1. His premiere dance saw a similar fate to Irwin’s on YouTube, leaving the rest of the competition in the dust with 1.1 million views.
Former “Bachelor” Joey Graziadei and partner Jenna Johnson’s Cha Cha took the second place slot with less than 700,000 views on YouTube.
While the gymnast, nicknamed the “Pommel Horse Guy,” rode his viral fame to fourth place, it was Graziadei who took home the Mirrorball Trophy, proving that Irwin will need more than YouTube views to go the distance.
The season is well underway, and Irwin and Carson are ready to hit the dance floor with their Jazz dance during “Wicked” night. The pair will be dancing to “Dancing Through Life” by Bailey, featuring Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode and Cynthia Erivo.
If history is any indication, their next challenge will be keeping the momentum going and turning YouTube success into consistent votes.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on both ABC and Disney+.
