Robert Irwin turned in another stellar performance on “Dancing With the Stars” during Rock & Roll Hall of Fame night, but shared one moment during the team dance that had him scared. Irwin dished on how he “almost died” at the end of the dance as the confetti dropped on the team.
Robert Irwin Explains How He ‘Almost Died’ on the Dance Floor
During a November 4 post-“DWTS” interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Irwin shared an “exclusive” about the team performance, recalling the terrifying moment when a piece of confetti created a dangerous situation.
“Do you want an exclusive?” he asked. “I almost died tonight.”
Irwin continued, “I choked on a piece of confetti after the team dance. I went over to Witney and I think they cut away.”
Irwin and his partner, Witney Carson, were part of Team Kool with host Julianne Hough, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, and Andy Richter and Emma Slater.
“I inhaled a piece of confetti. I couldn’t breathe,” Irwin explained. He recalled miming to Carson that he was choking.
Carson said, “Oh my god. I didn’t even know that was happening. I would have been a shield like this with the confetti.”
Thankfully, Irwin was able to pop the piece of paper out and survived the scary moment. “I’m not even kidding,” he said of the confetti incident.
The team dance received a score of 38 out of 40.
Fans Share Concern About Robert Irwin Choking on Confetti
Fans flooded the comments section with concern over Irwin choking on the dance floor.
“Thank God he’s still with us,” one fan wrote. “I can’t even imagine a world without Robert Irwin. 😢😢”
Others marveled at how Irwin interacts with animals regularly, but a rogue piece of paper proved to be his most dangerous situation yet. “Can’t believe he works with wild animals yet a piece of confetti was what almost took him out 😂,” one fan noted.
Another fan agreed, writing, “The man works with crocodiles and confetti almost took him out.”
Other fans commented, “Protect him at all costs,” “Oh my goodness Robert, we can’t lose you ❤️ Take care,” “Choking is so so scary!” and “THANK HEAVEN HE’S OKAY.”
“@robertirwinphotography, this is why we advocate for only using biodegradable and edible confetti 👏🏼 It saves wildlife and our planet … it also protects Robert during dance routines,” one fan shared.
Another fan agreed, writing, “They need to throw edible confetti.”
One can still collecting edible confetti! Maybe don’t use it around people exerting themselves and already gasping for air!!!!
Glad he survived…scary. People have choked on rice in restaurants and meat. Babies may choke on carrots. You would not expect this to happen on stage, but you never know what life brings. God bless!