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Key Points Robert Irwin will not be dancing with his sister Bindi on DWTS Birthday Bash Week. Robert and Witney Carson will foxtrot, honoring Bindi’s tribute dance to their late father. Fans expressed mixed reactions; DWTS clarified Bindi will not dance, Xochitl Gomez joins relay. Dancing With the Stars cleared up “confusion” about Robert Irwin‘s former champion dance partner for Birthday Bash Week: He will not be performing with his sister, Bindi Irwin. On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Robert and his pro dance partner, Witney Carson, will dance a foxtrot to “Footprints in the Sand” by Leona Lewis, honoring Bindi’s Season 21 performance dedicated to their late father, Steve Irwin. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 For the second round, contestants will team up with a former Mirrorball champion, instead of their usual partners. Robert was paired with DWTS Season 32 winner Xochitl Gomez for the relay round. Fans were evidently confused about the twist when Robert and Witney posted a video on social media with Bindi. On Sunday, Nov. 9, the official DWTS Instagram account set the record straight. “There’s been some confusion this week,” the update read. “The post of Bindi with Robert in training is for their first dance, which is based on her Freestyle and is a tribute to their Dad, but Bindi will not be dancing. For the Relay Dance round, Robert is excited to be competing with season 32 champ Xochitl Gomez. #DWTS #DWTS20.” Oops! We’re unable to load this content right now. View directly on Instagram Related: Bindi Irwin Announces Move to the U.S. With Daughter Grace in Major “Life Update“ In the comments, fans were divided with their reactions, with some expressing excitement and others disappointment over the misunderstanding. One Instagram user exclaimed, “I love Xochitl!!! I’m so glad she’s back for the 2nd year in a row 🥹🎉.” Someone else declared, “Love Xochitl!! Let go, Robert! Get your 10s!” Another wrote, “So excited for their Foxtrot and relay dance! Xochitl is fantastic, they are going to do so well! And good job clarifying, it was a little confusing, but still so good to see Bindi visiting the rehearsal studio! 💚🐊.” A different fan lamented, “Missed opportunity!! 😢.” Meanwhile, yet another DWTS fan echoed, “Awww man, that would’ve been so sweet to have Bindi dance with her lil bro 🥹.” Catch new episodes of Dancing With the Stars on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming on Disney+.
