Robert Irwin has said he isn’t going to let romantic prospects get in the way of his quest to become the second Irwin family member to take home the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars (his sister, Bindi Irwin, was the season 21 champion a decade ago). But fans online are speculating that there may be something brewing between the 21-year-old wildlife conservationist and one of the DWTS troupe members, 19-year-old Hailey Bills, anyway.
Neither party has publicly commented on the rumors or been spotted together outside of peforming on the show, but fans have continued to look for hidden clues and meanings anyway. Speculation began earlier in the season when Hailey was seen on air reacting happily to Robert receiving good scores following his performance. She shared a since-deleted TikTok video that said “Taking notes on what faces to make in the skybox from now on,” referencing the platform dancers stand on when judges reveal scores during the episode. She added the hashtags “dwts” and “wildlife,” seemingly referencing Robert.
© DisneyRobert posted an Instagram Stories video on Monday of himself dancing with all four of the new troupe members, Carter Williams, Onye Stevenson, Jaxon Willard and Hailey, dubbing himself an “honorary troupe member.”
It’s Hailey’s debut season as a member of the DWTS troupe — a group of backup dancers for the show who perform in opening numbers, filler performances throughout the episode and any celebrity/pro dances that require some extra dancers — but she’s no stranger to the DWTS community.
© DisneyFor one, she’s involved in the heavily-weaved family tree of DWTS thanks to her aunt: pro Jenna Johnson. And in 2018, Hailey served as a pro on the short-lived Dancing with the Stars: Juniors spinoff, during which she was paired with Bristol Palin’s son, Tripp Johnston. The two were eliminated week 1 after performing a foxtrot to “Mama Said” by The Shirelles. (Current DWTS pro Rylee Arnold was also a pro on Juniors, FYI.)
Still, don’t get your hopes up about a new DWTS romance too soon. “Girlfriends at this point are just a distraction,” Robert said in a recent appearance on The Viall Files Podcast. “I’m locked in. … I’m kind of at this point in my life where I’m completely open to it and let it happen, but I’m not in any crazy rush.”
Whoever ends up with Robert is going to ideally have to like animals and be “up for an adventure,” he added. “Someone who’s got their own world and passions that you can kind of find what you both love and form that together. Someone just adventurous and fun and really kind is really important to me. And someone family focused. Family is everything to me.”
© DisneyWhen it comes to red flags, Robert said he has just one major dealbreaker: “The only ick that I get… people who are rude to wait staff,” he said. “I try to surround myself with genuine, authentic people who are just really kind. In life, you’ve got to find people that lift you up and that you can support one another.”
© Getty ImagesThe Australian wildlife conservationist has also been subject to fan speculation that he could become a future star of ABC’s The Bachelor (The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul is slated to be the next star of The Bachelorette, and the TV network, which DWTS is also part of, loves a bit of crossover).
© Disney“The Bachelor, you reckon? Hey, I mean, never say never,” he told Entertainment Tonight with a smile during an interview earlier this year when asked about the online chatter. “Never say never. I mean, I’m looking for the perfect person. So stranger things have happened.”
