Sparks fly between Xochitl Gomez and Robert 'Twinkle Toes' Irwin as 'DWTS' turns 20

As “Dancing With the Stars” marked 20 years connected the aerial Tuesday night, the amusement pulled retired each the stops to bring backmost favorites and observe the 9 remaining contestants.

Six nonrecreational dancers who started with the amusement successful 2005 were featured successful the opening number, choreographed by justice Derek Hough. Later successful the show, 9 erstwhile Mirror Ball champions came backmost to spouse with the contestants during the relay dance. Even Tom Bergeron was determination arsenic a impermanent judge, virtually jumping up and down connected signifier aft pal Elaine Hendrix’s salsa and telling her, “That was truly good!”

“I americium thrilled to beryllium present tonight,” Bergeron said astatine the opening of the show, which helium hosted for galore years until clashing with absorption implicit the 2019 casting of erstwhile Trump property caput Sean Spicer. “It’s specified a rush.”

Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro carried the hosting duties connected Tuesday, leaving Bergeron to present scores to the dancers.

One idiosyncratic who had ne'er been connected the amusement appeared too: Prince William showed up by video telephone to cheer connected Robert Irwin arsenic helium worked connected his foxtrot and to forgive him a spot for skipping retired connected the EarthShot Prize awards ceremony. Irwin had been scheduled to articulation William past week successful Rio de Janeiro for the awards earlier his occurrence connected “DWTS” kept him busier than expected. William excused Irwin a bit, caput you, but not entirely.

“We’re missing you, Robert, portion your twinkle-toes are going disconnected elsewhere, I request you down here,” the apt aboriginal king said, connecting from Brazil wherever helium was spending 5 days connected a solo sojourn sans Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Irwin besides got a sojourn from his sister Bindi — a erstwhile Mirror Ball champ — and her small girl Grace during a week erstwhile 1 of his dances was a tribute to “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, Bindi and Robert’s conservationist begetter who died successful 2006 aft helium was unexpectedly stabbed successful the bosom by a stingray. Bergeron noted that the past clip helium and Robert Irwin saw each other, 10 years prior, the lad was lone 11 and watching his older sister perform.

“Every clip that I measurement onto that floor, I correspond my dad, his connection and what helium stood for,” Robert Irwin said Tuesday. “I conscionable privation to marque him proud. He’s my hero.”

Topping it each off? Four 10s from the judges for Irwin and his spouse Witney Carson, giving them the archetypal cleanable people of the season. More cleanable scores would travel from Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy and Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas.

Irwin returned aboriginal successful the amusement to creation a jive with Season 32 victor Xochitl Gomez, the Marvel prima who took location the Mirror Ball successful December 2023 erstwhile she was lone 17 years old. The zookeeper and the histrion acceptable disconnected sparks, winning the relay against Earle and Season 33 champ Joey Graziadei of “The Bachelor” fame.

“It was amazing,” justice Derek Hough said aft the couples danced. “By the way, Robert and Xochitl, the chemistry, excuse me? Excuse me? It was truthful wonderful.”

“It’s truly crazy. Honestly, we conscionable had too much amusive successful rehearsals,” Irwin said arsenic helium and Gomez awaited results. “I benignant of felt bad. Witney, you truly had your enactment chopped retired for you.”

At 21 and 19, Irwin and Gomez mightiness person their enactment chopped retired for them arsenic well, should they privation to prosecute that showmance.

Bergeron, meanwhile, appealed to the web astatine 1 constituent to “bring backmost the results show” and “let the full state vote.”

Also, for the archetypal time, “DWTS” delivered an In Memoriam conception honoring each the erstwhile contestants and 1 justice who person died betwixt the show’s debut connected June 1, 2005, and Tuesday night’s 20-year, 34-season celebration: Kirstie Alley (Season 12), Aaron Carter (Season 9), Shannen Doherty (Season 10), Valerie Harper (Season 17), Anne Heche (Season 29), Florence Henderson (Season 11), Jacoby Jones (Season 16), Suzanne Somers (Season 20), Jerry Springer (Season 3), Cloris Leachman (Season 7), Mary Wilson (Season 28), and yet Len Goodman, who died successful 2023 aft retiring from the program.

Goodman, who was ever known arsenic the toughest justice connected the panel, got a peculiar conception arsenic good — 1 that near justice Bruno Tonioli adjacent tears.