Robert Irwin took home the win in the US version of Dancing With The Stars overnight, but the record-breaking moment has been met with suspicion by some fans (read: party poopers).
The beloved Aussie icon won the coveted mirror ball trophy after drawing in the most votes as a historic 72 million viewers cast their ballots in the season 34 finale.
That figure, more than double last year’s DWTS finale, was divided up between finalists Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles, Dylan Efron, and Elaine Hendrix, but it was Rob, who had been a frontrunner all season, who captured the most fans’ hearts.
Rob dedicated his win to his late dad Steve Irwin as well as his sister Bindi Irwin, who took home the same trophy after her winning stint on the competition show back in 2015.
“I wish he [Steve] could see it, I really wish he could be here,” Rob said while holding back tears after his dance, before quoting Bindi while holding the trophy. “My sister said it best: thank you for changing my life,” Rob said.
Since we can’t have nice things, Rob’s (deserved) win was immediately questioned by some viewers, who took to social media to claim the finale was somehow rigged in his favour.
One conspiracy suggested Rob was able to win by gaining votes from both his US and Aussie fans, despite the show’s rules dictating that voters must be physically located within the US or Canada.
“No hate to [Rob] but I mean come on. He has all the Aussie votes and is internationally loved plus the constant emotional stories of his dad and bringing his sister in. It wasn’t going to be any other winner,” one user wrote.
Others claimed Rob’s dance — which copped tens across the board — was incorrectly judged by the panel, since he had suffered a rib injury before the finale that impacted his dancing chops.
“I felt something was off, I don’t think this was a legit 30/30,” one fan said on TikTok, while another claimed “they had to modify the [choreography] and tone it down a bit” due to Rob’s rib injury.
For all the suspicions, Rob did receive an outpouring of love following his win, with many defending him against the theories and reminding folks of his impressive stint on the show. Despite the chatter, Rob was arguably the buzziest and most deserving contestant on DWTS this year.
Whether he was making those who grew up with him feel weirdly horny with a shirtless dance moment, copping well-wishes from Prince William or dedicating a routine to his mum Terri Irwin, the Aussie star did us proud on the world stage.
And for that, we reckon he deserves the mirrorball trophy and then some!
Lead images: Instagram and X
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