As I take time to reflect on the rollercoaster that was this season of Dancing With The Stars, I really do believe that it ended on a good note. Going into the finale the biggest question surrounding the show was who was going to take home the Mirrorball: Alix Earle or Robert Irwin. Personally, I have been rooting for Robert since the very beginning. To me the heart of DWTS is watching people with no dance experience grow over the course of ten weeks, and to me Robert embodied that theme perfectly. Ever since week one his natural ability to captivate the ballroom had me convinced he would go all the way.

Before getting analytical, I want to share my opinions. Robert came in with no dance experience whatsoever. I was thoroughly impressed by his work and his week by week improvements. I could tell that he was there because he wanted to be and not just a cash-grab, like many others. I also want to express my love for his partner Witney Carson. She was robbed of the win back in season 27 with Milo Manheim and I was really rooting for her to deliver this season. Both of them really gave it their all this season and went beyond anyone else on the show.

Now of course, Alix Earle had a very big chance of winning, she is an amazing dancer and she was paired with Val Chmerkovski, who is an incredible teacher and pro. Throughout the finale I could not tell you who was going to take home the mirrorball. All three of her dances were very promising, even scoring higher than Robert that night. It all really came down to viewer votes though. Even though Alix Earle is one of the biggest social media personalities out there, Robert really resonated with the DWTS community more. When looking at the numbers Robert has approximately 1.8 million more followers on Tik Tok and 3.7 million more followers on Instagram. So if it were just a popularity factor then Robert would still have won.

Another main factor was their audiences. Alix, as an influencer, naturally tailors her posts to younger generations, a big part of the DWTS fanbase. But on the other hand, Robert has the Irwin family legacy behind him, which holds resonance with many generations. Many people grew up watching Steve Irwin and his message, so seeing his son, Robert, made them root for him. When my parents would sit down and watch with us they would say “Is that Steve Irwin’s son? I am definitely voting for him” Little moments like these show the Irwins widespread impact and connection all over the globe. Also, Robert’s older sister Bindi won the show with current judge Derek Hough exactly 10 years ago, and many fans believed it would be a very “full-circle” win.

All in all, it was a very close race. After breaking it all down, Robert’s capturing of fans’ votes was imminent, and I am not mad about that. I think both Alix, Robert, and all the other contestants worked incredibly hard this season and it was very exciting to watch. But in the end, Robert and Witney deserved it the most.