When Robert Irwin won Dancing With the Stars season 34, he had Xochitl Gomez in his corner.
“Text ROBERT to 21523,” Gomez, 19, wrote via her Instagram Stories hours before the Tuesday, November 25, live finale, later sharing footage of Irwin’s stellar freestyle routine.
Irwin, 21, and pro Witney Carson came out victorious on Tuesday, clinching the mirrorball trophy over Gomez’s former partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, and Alix Earle. (Gomez and Chmerkovskiy, 39, won season 32 in 2023.)
“I am so incredibly proud of you two,” Gomez wrote via her Instagram Stories, tagging Irwin and Carson’s social media accounts. “What a season! ❤️ ✨ .”
Just ahead of the live show, she was spotted in photos obtained by TMZ, giving a bouquet of flowers to Irwin. After his win, now-viral social media footage showed Irwin greeting Gomez with a hug as he appeared to mouth, “Thank you. How are you?”
Gomez met Irwin earlier during season 34 when they were paired for DWTS’ relay round during the 20th Birthday Party episode. At the time, each competitor danced with a former champion in a head-to-head challenge against another duo.
“Witney choreographed [the number] and so I’m not gonna lie, I was most excited to be dancing with Witney and having her teach me,” Gomez told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month. “I’ve just been such a big fan and her hair whips, her lines, her sharpness, her technicality is off the f***ing charts. I was just very amped to have her teaching me.”
Gomez didn’t just enjoy working with Carson, 32, but also Irwin himself.
Bindi Irwin, Robert Irwin and Terri Irwin after the ‘DWTS’ season 34 finale. Disney/Eric McCandless
“I think people know this already, but just how energetic he is. We had a rehearsal without Witney because they were filming something special,” she recalled to the outlet. “It was just Robert and I for three hours, and ‘Oh my God!’ Witney taught him a thing or two because he was drilling me in the nicest way possible. He’s like, ‘I think you need to pick it up a little more.’ I was like, ‘Oh! Well, you’re talking to a former dance champion but I’ve never danced this style so you can teach me.’”
While Irwin’s single status has made headlines all DWTS season long, his outings with Gomez have only amplified the conversation.
“Oh my gosh, we had the best time [and] that dance was so much fun,” he told TMZ last month when asked whether they were an item. “It was so cool to do two such distinct dances. One that was really slow and heartfelt, and then the dance with Xochitl, which was just like energy and fun. She’s the best. It’s been really, really great.”
Irwin, however, declined to mention whether he was in a relationship with the Marvel actress. Weeks later, Irwin — once again — played coy about his love life.
“Holy moly, that’s so challenging to navigate,” Irwin told The New York Times of dating in a Sunday, November 23, profile. “Anything you do will be on TikTok the next day. I never change what I say, what I do, who I am one bit, wherever I am [and I have] no persona to hide behind. It’s just me, and I stand by who I am.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.