Dancing With the Stars’ Robert Irwin receives surprise from Prince Fiyero actor Jonathan Bailey after his Wicked Night performance

Robert Irwin received a special surprise from Wicked star Jonathan Bailey following his Dancing With the Stars “Wicked Night” performance.

According to the video Irwin shared on Instagram and coverage by Entertainment Weekly, Bailey, who portrays Prince Fiyero in Wicked and Wicked: For Good, sent the contestant a bouquet and a handwritten message recognizing his tribute performance.

The gesture came after Irwin performed a jazz routine to Dancing Through Life, a song performed by Bailey in the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical.

Jonathan Bailey sends a surprise message to Robert Irwin after Dancing With the Stars’ Wicked Night performance

Jonathan Bailey’s surprise for Robert Irwin

In the video Irwin posted, his professional dance partner Witney Carson handed him a large bouquet of flowers as he reacted in surprise, saying the flowers were "beautiful" upon receiving them.

Irwin appeared taken aback when he realized who the sender was, exclaiming that it was "from Jonathan Bailey" as he held the bouquet in surprise.

Attached to it was a card from the Bridgerton actor that read,

“You are the Shiz, Robert. You’ve done all the Fiyeros proud. Cheering you on from afar. Big love, JB.”

Irwin expressed his gratitude in the video, stating that the gesture made his day and thanking Jonathan Bailey for the surprise.

At the end of the clip, Carson asked if he wanted to put the flowers down to resume rehearsal, but Irwin declined as he walked away, saying, “No.”

In the caption of his post, Irwin thanked Bailey for what he described as a cool surprise and shared that it was an “honour to play Fiyero for the night.”

Inside the Wicked Night performance

For Wicked Night, Irwin and Carson performed a jazz routine to Dancing Through Life, as featured in Wicked and sung by Jonathan Bailey alongside Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, and Cynthia Erivo.

The performance required Irwin to portray Fiyero, a character known for his charismatic stage presence in the musical.

During the episode, all four judges acknowledged Irwin’s effort and execution.

Carrie Ann Inaba described the routine as “so ambitious,” adding that Carson’s choreography “showcased” Irwin effectively and that he “nailed it.” Derek Hough remarked,

“We need to change out your hiking boots for dancing shoes. You were meant to be on stage. You’re a performer,” calling the number “beautiful” and “well done.”

Guest judge Jonathan Bennett said that seeing the performance live was even better, adding that despite the challenging use of book props, Irwin showed improvement, moving from last week’s “honesty” to this week’s joy.

Bruno Tonioli noted that Irwin handled every situation with skill, commending his consistency and focus.

Irwin and Carson received a combined score of 36 out of 40, with each judge awarding a score of 9.

Irwin’s reflections on conservation and performance

Following the Wicked Night episode, Entertainment Weekly published Irwin’s remarks on his broader goals while participating in the competition.

Irwin said that at the heart of everything he does is “wildlife conservation.”

He explained that his work focuses not only on protecting individual animals but also on creating a broader movement that encourages people.

He emphasized the importance of young individuals recognizing their power to make positive environmental change in the future. He added,

“We are enduring the most volatile and intense and scary time from an ecological perspective. And we really have the responsibility to tip it over the edge or to bring it back from the brink.”

Irwin concluded by saying that he had not expected Dancing With the Stars to become a way to share his message, but expressed gratitude that it has been a "way to do that."

Stay tuned for more updates.