Dancing with the Stars has a history of turning fancy footwork into real love stories, and fans think the latest relationship to blossom out of the famous dance stage involves two Mirrorball champions. Before Robert Irwin claimed the Season 34 trophy on Nov. 25, viewers noted his chemistry with Season 32 winner Xochitl Gomez. And Gomez just so happened to be at the grand finale to support Irwin… even privately meeting up with him ahead of the show with a romantic surprise.
In photos from the DWTS lot shared by TMZ, Gomez showed up to present Irwin with a bouquet of flowers ahead of his big performance, and the two were all smiles as they chatted hours before the taping. She was also right by Irwin’s side after his win, giving him a big embrace in videos from the finale.
Speculation about Irwin and Gomez began when the two were paired for a jive performance on Nov. 11. Judge Derek Hough made a note of pointing out their chemistry after the routine, which prompted a cheeky smile from Irwin’s pro partner Witney Carson. Since then, Irwin has side-stepped any questions about the nature of his and Gomez’s relationship.
Irwin briefly touched on his love life in a Nov. 23 New York Times profile. “Holy moly, that’s so challenging to navigate,” he said of trying to date as a public figure. “Anything you do will be on TikTok the next day,” the conservationist noted.
Irwin’s only public relationship has with Rorie Buckley, but the two ended things in early 2024. Gomez is speculated to have dated fellow actor Brady Noon, but they are believed to have broken up sometime in 2024 as well.
Now that Irwin’s season of Dancing with the Stars is officially over, it’ll be interesting to see if he continues to spend time with Gomez off the dance floor.
