Robert Irwin has shared one of the most emotional moments of his television career, drawing on his own experience of losing father Steve Irwin to comfort a contestant confronting childhood grief on Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro.

The 22-year-old conservationist, who recently transitioned from champion contestant to host of the new American reality series, offered heartfelt support to aspiring professional dancer Allen Genkin during the show’s second episode.

The episode challenged contestants to create choreography inspired by a defining moment in their lives—a theme that quickly became deeply personal for Genkin.

He chose to honour the memory of his late mother, describing the profound sense of loss he has carried since her death when he was just 15 years old.

As rehearsals progressed, Genkin became overwhelmed with emotion, prompting Irwin to visit him privately and offer encouragement.

“I wanted to visit Allen today because I know he’s telling a very important story, and a story that’s hard to tell. I want to see if I can help him through,” Irwin explained during the episode.

During their conversation, Genkin reflected on how grief continues to shape his life even two decades after losing his mother.

“Twenty years have gone by. They say time heals all wounds, but it really doesn’t,” he said.

Irwin quietly nodded in agreement before sharing his own experience of losing his father, legendary wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, who died in 2006 after a stingray barb pierced his chest while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.

Robert was only two years old at the time.

Although he has spoken publicly about his father throughout his life, he admitted that expressing those emotions through dance gave him a different perspective on grief.

“I understand what it’s like to lose someone,” Irwin told Genkin.

He recalled his own appearance on Dancing With the Stars the previous year, where he performed a dedication dance honouring his mother, Terri Irwin.

“As soon as that music stopped, my mum joined me on stage, and I completely broke down,” he said.

Irwin explained that dance had enabled him to confront emotions he had never fully processed before.

“It’s like you’re facing something for the first time in your life that you’ve never had the strength to face,” he said.

“But movement and dance—that is the thing that gives you the ability to face that.”

Genkin said he hoped his performance would allow him to reconnect with his mother’s memory in a meaningful way.

“I think this is going to be the closest I’ve been to her since,” he said before embracing Irwin.

The television host responded simply: “I’ll be right there with you, man.”

The emotional exchange became the centrepiece of the episode.

Genkin and dance partner Adele Zaikman later performed a rumba inspired by grief and healing, set to Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa’s See You Again.

The routine moved judges, contestants and audience members alike, with several left visibly emotional by the performance.

Judges praised the choreography and storytelling, describing it as one of the strongest routines of the competition so far.

Genkin subsequently advanced to the next round of the series.

Speaking after filming, Genkin said Irwin’s willingness to discuss his own grief had a lasting impact.

He described the Australian television personality as being “like a big brother” during one of the most emotionally demanding weeks of the competition.

Genkin said knowing someone else truly understood the experience of losing a parent made him feel less alone.

The moment also highlighted Irwin’s evolving television career.

After winning the previous season of Dancing With the Stars, he returned to the franchise not as a competitor but as host of Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro, a new spin-off that follows aspiring professional dancers competing for a place in the flagship series.

Filmed in Queensland, the program combines performance, mentoring and behind-the-scenes coaching, with Irwin acting as both presenter and confidant for contestants navigating the pressures of elite competition.

Irwin has said one of the biggest challenges of hosting the series has been balancing television commitments with his ongoing conservation work at Australia Zoo.

Despite the demanding schedule, he has described the role as an opportunity to reach new audiences while continuing to honour the values instilled by his family.

For many viewers, however, the most memorable part of the episode was not the dancing itself but the quiet conversation between two people connected by a shared experience of profound loss.

Steve Irwin’s death remains one of Australia’s most widely remembered public tragedies, yet Robert has consistently chosen to speak about his father through stories of gratitude rather than tragedy.

His conversation with Genkin reflected that approach.

Rather than suggesting grief eventually disappears, Irwin acknowledged that some losses remain throughout life, while also expressing hope that creativity, family and shared experiences can help people continue moving forward.

The exchange resonated strongly with audiences because it demonstrated a side of Irwin rarely seen on television: not the enthusiastic wildlife presenter or energetic host, but a young man drawing on deeply personal experience to support someone facing a similar emotional journey.

As Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro continues, the moment has already become one of the defining scenes of the inaugural season, illustrating that the competition is about far more than technical dance ability.

For Robert Irwin and Allen Genkin, it became a reminder that some of life’s most difficult experiences can also create unexpected moments of understanding, empathy and connection.