Witney Carson may have successfully guided Robert Irwin all the way to a Dancing With the Stars championship, but there is one job involving her former partner that she has officially decided she isn’t qualified for: finding him a girlfriend.
The reigning DWTS champion recently revealed that she has completely stepped away from her unofficial role as Robert’s wingwoman after the matchmaking mission became far more overwhelming than she expected.
“I have completely dropped that because it was so overwhelming for me,” Witney admitted in a recent interview. She joked that she had only taken on the responsibility briefly before realizing, “I’m not a matchmaker. This is not for me.”
The unusual situation began during Season 34, when Robert confirmed that he was single.
That revelation attracted plenty of attention. Robert, the son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, quickly found himself receiving messages from women interested in getting to know him—and some apparently decided that Witney was the person who could make it happen.
Soon, messages weren’t just reaching Robert.
Women began contacting Witney through her own social media accounts and even her email, essentially submitting their interest in her dance partner. Witney initially played along and joked about helping Robert sort through his growing collection of potential dates.
At one point, she told the women contacting her that she wished she could line all of them up for Robert because they seemed like great potential matches.
But the volume of attention quickly changed things.
Witney realized that trying to decide who might actually be right for Robert was considerably more stressful than the playful matchmaking idea initially sounded.
She even floated another solution: perhaps Robert should become The Bachelor and let somebody else handle the matchmaking.
Robert’s sister Bindi Irwin had also gotten involved in trying to help her younger brother find someone, but Witney said Bindi eventually backed away from the mission too.
For Witney, there was another problem: they had something considerably more important to accomplish.
She eventually found herself thinking, “We’re trying to win here. We’re not trying to date.”
That decision worked out rather well.
Robert and Witney went on to win Season 34, capturing the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy in November 2025. It became Witney’s second DWTS championship after her Season 19 victory with Alfonso Ribeiro.
The win also continued an extraordinary connection between the Irwin family and Dancing With the Stars. Ten years earlier, Bindi had won Season 21 alongside Derek Hough.
Witney’s relationship with Robert didn’t disappear once their competitive season ended, either.
The pair recently reunited for Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, where Robert serves as host. Witney and Robert danced together again and co-hosted the finale, giving fans another opportunity to see the partnership that helped carry them to the Mirrorball.
Witney described their reunion as an opportunity to simply enjoy dancing together again without the enormous pressure they experienced during the competition.
She has also made clear just how close their friendship has become. Robert is now part of her family’s life, and Witney has said her young sons consider the wildlife conservationist one of their heroes.
But apparently, friendship has its limits.
Witney might happily dance with Robert, support him and cheer on whatever he does next—but sorting through potential girlfriends is officially off her list of responsibilities.
And she has another enormous challenge approaching anyway.
Witney recently announced that she is expecting her third child with husband Carson McAllister while simultaneously preparing to return for Dancing With the Stars Season 35. She plans to compete while pregnant as long as she and her baby remain healthy.
Her new celebrity partner will be Guillermo Rodriguez, meaning Witney’s attention is about to shift from her championship partnership with Robert toward an entirely new ballroom journey.
Robert, meanwhile, appears perfectly capable of handling his own dating life.
So after coaching him through complicated choreography, helping him become a DWTS champion and briefly attempting to sort through an avalanche of interested admirers, Witney Carson has officially retired from one job: playing cupid for Robert Irwin.
As she discovered, winning a Mirrorball might actually be easier than finding Robert the perfect match
