Prince William Joins ‘Dancing With the Stars’ for Heartwarming Cameo With Robert Irwin
- - Prince William Joins ‘Dancing With the Stars’ for Heartwarming Cameo With Robert Irwin
Jane LaCroixNovember 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
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Photo by Mauro PIMENTEL / POOL / AFP & Photo by MEGA/GC Images
Prince William made an unexpected royal cameo on Dancing With the Stars Tuesday night — and no one saw it coming.
The Prince of Wales, 43, surprised viewers when he appeared via video chat to cheer on Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and his dance partner, Witney Carson on November 11.
“I need you down here,” William joked, referring to the Earthshot Prize ceremony in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month — an event Irwin was scheduled to attend before DWTS rehearsals kept him stateside. The royal affectionately teased him, calling him “twinkle toes,” before adding to Carson, “you need to get him in as much glitter as you can.” He closed out his call by saying the duo has a “serious good chance of winning.”
Carson was visibly starstruck after the brief call. “I can’t believe he just said my name,” she said, while Irwin nervously added, “Let’s not mess this up!”
READ MORE: Prince William and Kate Middleton Quietly Make a Major Change for Their Family
Fans online were just as stunned by the moment, with one writing on X, “did anyone have prince William video calling in to dancing with the stars on their bingo because I sure as f**k didn’t.”
“I’m sorry… PRINCE WILLIAM?!” another shocked fan wrote.A third shared, “The concept of Robert turning down Prince William for DWTS… oh I love him.”
The concept of Robert turning down Prince William for DWTS… oh I love him😭😭 #DWTS pic.twitter.com/W9agIJWXkg
— kaity (@kaityykins) November 12, 2025
Irwin, 21, serves as an ambassador for the Earthshot Prize, the global environmental initiative founded by William and The Royal Foundation to inspire and support solutions to climate challenges. The royal previously surprised him in June with a voice note on BBC Radio 2, praising Irwin as a “brilliant ambassador for the Earthshot Prize.”
The DWTS appearance capped off an emotional week for Irwin, who also touched hearts with an Instagram tribute to his late father, Steve Irwin. Sharing a side-by-side video of himself and his dad feeding the same crocodiles 19 years apart, he wrote, “Then and now. My dad and I feeding our same crocodiles, 19 years apart. If there’s one place I feel closest to my dad, it’s when I’m at @australiazoo working with the very crocs that he worked with and rescued.”
Between his emotional Foxtrot tribute to his father — which earned him a perfect score — and a surprise call from a future king, Irwin’s DWTS journey has officially become one for the books.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
