The Dancing with the Stars finale kicked off with high drama and even higher intensity as Robert Irwin powered through a painful rib injury.
During rehearsals, the Australian conservationist admitted the Cha Cha was the one Instant Dance he hoped to avoid — but fate had other plans.
In the finale, he and Carson ended up drawing the Cha Cha to DNCE’s Cake by the Ocean.
"So much cleaner, your placement, you were on fire," Judge Bruno Tonioli said.
"Everything that Bruno said I agree with," said Carrie Ann, praising the partnership between Robert and Witney.
Derek said he was nervous for them for the Cha Cha but praised Robert's hip rotation. "It was so incredibly impressive. That dance is so hard and you did fantastic. Well done."
"The ribs are sore, especially after those Cha Cha moves," Robert said after speaking with Julianne Hough.
He added, "But you know, I catch crocodiles and a crocodile has never messed up my ribs like that. Dancing is hard."
On Monday, Witney said Robert's "ribs have been killing him" and that "more will be revealed on Tuesday."
"You guys can get a better idea of what we’ve been dealing with all week on Tuesday," she said, adding, "I do have to change some things that involve the other dancers and involve the other guys. So, it’s just honestly the most stressful part."
Despite his pain, Witney said Robert is "going to want to rehearse until the very last second."
"This entire season just feels like the biggest gift," she said. "I’m just so thankful."
To note, the final five couples — Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten — battled for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Tuesday, November 25.
Each pair will perform three routines: a Judges’ Choice dance, an Instant Dance revealed just minutes before showtime, and a high-energy Freestyle to close out the season.
