The answer to who won Dancing with the Stars 2025 is officially Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. The wildlife conservationist and professional dancer were crowned Season 34 champions during the live finale on November 25, 2025, taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after competing against four other finalist couples. (ABC News)
The victory gave the Irwin family another connection to the ABC dance competition. Ten years earlier, Robert’s older sister, Bindi Irwin, won Season 21 with professional dancer Derek Hough. For Robert, the 2025 result therefore carried a distinct family connection while also marking his own first appearance as a competitor on the series. (Good Morning America)
How the Story Began
ABC announced Robert Irwin as part of the Dancing with the Stars 2025 cast in September, pairing him with Witney Carson. Irwin entered the competition as a wildlife conservationist, photographer and television personality associated with Australia Zoo and his family’s conservation work. (ABC)
Carson was hardly new to the pressure of the ballroom. She had previously won the competition with Alfonso Ribeiro in Season 19, and she had also been the professional partner when Bindi Irwin competed in 2015. ABC’s historical winners list records Bindi’s Season 21 victory with Derek Hough, making the 2025 pairing an unusual reunion with the Irwin family’s DWTS history. (ABC News)
The partnership made an immediate impression when Season 34 premiered on September 16. Irwin and Carson opened their season with a jive to Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” with Irwin performing a jump over Carson during the routine. (ABC News)
A Timeline of the Major Developments
September 3, 2025: ABC announced the Season 34 cast, including Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. (ABC)
September 16, 2025: Season 34 premiered. Irwin and Carson performed their opening jive, beginning a run that would eventually take them to the finale. (ABC News)
Fall 2025: The pair continued through the weekly competition as the field narrowed. Their partnership became one of the central storylines of the season, while Irwin’s connection to his family and conservation work remained part of his public narrative. (E! Online)
November 18, 2025: Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas were eliminated in the semifinals, leaving five couples to compete in the finale. (ABC News)
November 25, 2025: The five remaining couples competed in the three-hour live finale. Each performed a Judges’ Choice routine, an Instant Dance and a freestyle. (ABC News)
November 25, 2025: Robert Irwin and Witney Carson were announced as the Season 34 champions. (ABC News)
What Happened in the Dancing With the Stars 2025 Finale?
The finale featured Robert Irwin and Witney Carson alongside Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten. (Good Morning America)
Irwin and Carson’s first featured routine was a quickstep to Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?,” selected by Derek Hough. They later performed a freestyle combining Sam Sparro’s “Black & Gold” with Avicii’s “The Nights.” They also took part in the Instant Dance round, performing a cha-cha. (Good Morning America)
Their final judges’ score was 89 out of 90. Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy scored a perfect 90, while Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa also finished on 89. The result was therefore not determined by the judges’ scores alone. The season’s winner was decided using a combination of judges’ scores and live viewer votes. (Sporting News)
ABC later described Season 34 as a record-breaking year, reporting 72 million votes during the finale and nearly half a billion votes across the season. (ABC)
The final results were:
| Place | Couple |
| 1st | Robert Irwin & Witney Carson |
| 2nd | Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy |
| 3rd | Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa |
| 4th | Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach |
| 5th | Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten |
ABC News and other independent entertainment outlets confirmed the same final order. (Good Morning America)
Robert Irwin’s Final Night
Irwin’s route to the trophy was not entirely straightforward. Ahead of the finale, he was dealing with rib pain and the pair adjusted part of their choreography. Carson explained afterward that a trick in which Irwin normally caught her had been removed because it aggravated his ribs. (ABC News)
Despite the change, the pair completed all three finale dances. Following the win, Irwin thanked viewers and his supporters. In remarks reported by ABC and other outlets, he also connected the moment to his family, recalling his sister Bindi’s earlier victory. (Good Morning America)
For Carson, the victory was another Mirrorball championship after her earlier win with Ribeiro. For Irwin, it was a new achievement of his own, coming a decade after he had watched his sister compete. (ABC News)
Robert Irwin’s Career Beyond the Ballroom
Robert Irwin’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars was one part of a broader television and conservation career. ABC described him as a wildlife conservationist, photographer and television presenter involved with Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors, the conservation organization founded by his family. (ABC)
His post-DWTS career also continued to include television. In 2026, ABC announced that Irwin would host Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, a competition focused on emerging professional dancers seeking a place on the main show. (ABC)
Witney Carson also remained part of the franchise. ABC’s 2026 cast announcement lists Carson as a Season 35 professional partner, this time dancing with Jimmy Kimmel Live! personality Guillermo Rodriguez. (ABC)
So, who won Dancing with the Stars 2025?
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson won Season 34, claiming the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on November 25, 2025. Their victory came after a three-round finale in which Irwin and Carson finished with 89 points from the judges and ultimately received enough viewer support to take first place over Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy. (ABC News)
The result also added a second Dancing with the Stars victory to the Irwin family’s history, following Bindi Irwin’s 2015 championship. (Good Morning America)
Sources:
- https://abc.com/news/9caad08d-41b7-4bd0-9293-9d348286215b/category/1138628
- https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/Dancing-with-the-Stars-season-34-finale/story
- https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/dancing-stars-season-34-124855780
- https://abc.com/news/98f4bab4-757f-4f1a-a2e9-d392ff248d56/category/1138628
- https://people.com/dancing-with-the-stars-season-34-winner-11857022
- https://www.eonline.com/news/1425519/robert-irwin-on-dancing-with-the-stars-win
- https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/26/robert-irwin-wins-dancing-with-the-stars
