Wildlife conservationist, photographer and zookeeper Robert Irwin delivered an emotional contemporary routine on Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night, dedicating his performance to his mom, Terri Irwin.
The 21-year-old even brought his mom out in the routine’s final moments, and the mother-son duo shared a hug at the end.
“I’m incredibly honoured that Robert thought of me,” Terri Irwin wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend, ahead of her son’s performance. “Steve and I always talked about how much it meant to us to be parents. So much love. This will be a special night.”
Terri Irwin raised her two children — Robert Irwin and Bindi Irwin — after her husband, Steve Irwin, died in 2006 from an injury caused by a stingray.
Robert Irwin and his professional dance partner, Witney Carson, danced to Phil Collins‘ 2002 ballad “You’ll Be in My Heart” for Tuesday night’s performance, and the two earned their best score of the season so far.
Robert Irwin also reflected in an Instagram post on what he previously called an “emotional week in rehearsals.”
“My mum and dad created a legacy that l’m proud to continue. I hope I can use this dance to share what she means to me, to our family, and to say thank you for always supporting me through life’s ups and downs,” he wrote.
After the show, he added in an Instagram Story post, “I will remember tonight forever. Thank you.”
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