Prince William made a surprise appearance on Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday night to show his support for contestant Robert Irwin.
The Prince of Wales, 43, made a surprise appearance during the 20th anniversary episode of the competitive dance show to share words of encouragement with Irwin, who is an Earthshot Prize ambassador for William's environmental initiative, which aims to find innovative solutions to repair and protect the planet.
Irwin, 21, told his dance partner Witney Carson that he was due to travel to Brazil for the Earthshot Awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on November 5, but had to say to William: “Sorry, I can't make it. I'm still here.”
“Robert, we miss you so much,” William said in a video message. “I want you here while your sparkling toes go away.”
William told Carson he needed to “make him shine as much as possible.”
“Guys, you have a pretty good chance of winning,” William said during the FaceTime call. “Well then, I wish you good luck on the show.”
“I can't believe he just said my name,” Carson said.
Irwin went on to say he dedicated his foxtrot to Leona Lewis' Footprints in the Sand to his sister Bindi, 27.
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“We're doing this dance for Bindi, we're doing this dance for Prince William, so let's not mess it up,” he said.
Bindi danced to the same song during her appearance on DWTS Season 21, where she won alongside professional dancer Derek Hough.
“A part of me was healed that day, so now I want Robert to have the same experience,” Bindi said.
At the end of the number, Bindi took the stage with her brother and Carson, and they knelt with their arms around each other's shoulders as scenes from their childhood with their late father, Steve Irwin, were projected onto the ballroom floor.
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Irwin and Carson celebrated by earning a perfect score of 40 by dancing to the song in honor of their late father.
Irwin shared the dance on Instagram, writing, “Tonight was healing. This dance was emotional, beautiful, and had such deep meaning. I carry on my father's legacy in everything I do, and it was an honor to dedicate our foxtrot to him.”
“Thank you @bindisueirwin for inspiring us with your freestyle on this song. Also thank you @witneycarson for choreographing such a beautiful story through dance and creating space for us to convey the raw emotions we weren't able to share before,” he continued.
“I'm proud to be a wildlife warrior and will always continue my father's mission. I'm so grateful to be able to do it in the ballroom.”
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