Robert Irwin Rips off His Shirt in Bold 'DWTS' TikTok Night Performance & It Has Fans Buzzing

The 21-year-old turned up the heat during week three of "Dancing With the Stars," leaving both the audience and fans online buzzing.

Robert Irwin set the ballroom ablaze with partner Witney Carson during "TikTok Night" on Tuesday, September 30, on "Dancing With the Stars" (DTWS). Midway through their smoldering salsa sequence, he ripped off his shirt in a bold move that electrified the crowd and sparked online praise.

The beloved wildlife warrior-turned-heartthrob is the first celebrity or pro this season to go completely shirtless — and he did it with swagger and aura.

Shirtless Shock Sends Ballroom into Chaos

Their performance kicked off innocently enough, with Carson perched confidently on Irwin's shoulders. But within seconds, the pair launched into a high-octane salsa that took a turn for the steamy when Irwin boldly tore off his shirt and threw in a slick, crowd-igniting body roll.

Cheers erupted, the ballroom shook, and Irwin cemented his place as the night's most unforgettable act. He and Carson kept the energy high as they moved seamlessly through the rest of the performance.

Despite their sizzling chemistry and seamless transitions, Irwin and Carson landed a score of 22 out of 30 for their salsa to "Million Dollar Baby" by Tommy Richman. That placed them in a three-way tie for third with Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold, as well as Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko.

Fans Cry Foul over 'Rigged' Scores

While the judges' scores were solid, many viewers felt Robert Irwin deserved even more — and they didn't hold back when sharing their reactions.

One fan summed up the moment perfectly, writing, "This dance wasn't for the judges, this dance was for us." The energy was so high that another admitted, "Pretty sure people 20 miles away heard me screaming when he took his shirt off."

Someone else didn't hold back their praise, "I thought this was the best Dance of the night 🤷‍♀️🔥." Another fan called it as they saw it, "Best dance by far. Judging is obviously rigged." One person echoed the sentiment, "He was ROBBED. His scores deserved to be higher!"

Meanwhile, a stunned viewer shared, "Jaw was on the floor👀." Others took aim at the scoring as well, with one writing, "I disagree with the judges, THAT WAS SPECTACULAR 🤩." And finally, someone summed up the whole experience with, "Still recovering from this."

'TikTok Night' Delivers Big Scores

The "TikTok Night" was packed with memorable performances and a wide range of scores. At the top of the scoreboard, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa dazzled with their routine, earning 24 out of 30, a score they shared with Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas.

Just behind them, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach impressed the judges with a 23, matched by Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy. The three-way tie of a 22 score then followed.

Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov, as well as Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, held steady with 21 apiece.

Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik trailed slightly at 19, while both Andy Richter and Emma Slater, and Lauren Jauregui with Brandon Armstrong, finished with 18 points.

A Shocking Elimination

Jauregui and Armstrong had the lowest combined total of judges' scores and viewers' votes. They were ultimately sent home, leaving the audience audibly shocked by the results.

The crowd made their disappointment clear, booing loudly when Jauregui's name was called for elimination. Her exit came as a surprise to many, given that she had shown strong form in earlier weeks.

During the first two rounds, she consistently impressed and had managed to climb to sixth place on the leaderboard by the close of "One-Hit Wonders Night."

When asked by co-host Julianne Hough how she was feeling, Jauregui smiled and replied, "Pissed." She quickly shifted to gratitude, praising Brandon and saying she was "grateful" to have him as her partner.

Irwin Leaves Judges and the Internet Stunned with Electric First Dance

As we previously reported, Irwin made a striking entrance into "DWTS" this season, turning heads from the very first episode. When season 34 premiered on September 17, the TV personality brought undeniable star power, commanding the stage and quickly becoming the standout of the night.

The nature-loving star joined forces with professional dancer Carson to deliver a jaw-dropping jive to Steppenwolf's iconic anthem, "Born to be Wild." Initially, Irwin set the scene amid a safari-theme setting, perched atop a Land Rover parked in the midst of tall grass.

After setting his sights on Carson with a pair of binoculars, the charismatic TV personality pounced off the hood of the vehicle and ran to his partner.

Together, the pair twirled, kicked, flipped, and dipped their way through a performance that had every eye glued to the floor. Dressed in striking, matching ensembles, Irwin and Carson delivered with such energy and precision that the ballroom exploded with cheers.

Judge Derek Hough, who won the coveted mirrorball trophy with Irwin's sister in Season 21, couldn't contain his awe. He showered Irwin with praise, even jokingly asking if the 21-year-old had been secretly training all these years.

"That was one of the best first dances I've ever seen on this show," declared Hough, and online, fans wholeheartedly agreed.

"Robert was hands down the best performance of the night #DWTS #robertirwin #minneapolisbct," stated a fan, while another added, "I feel bad for every other contestant ngl Robert's gonna take the mirror ball no question 👏🏼." "So good! He's dancing like a pro," asserted a fellow admirer. The praise continued with a supporter gushing, "my [sic] winner."

Yet another admirer echoed the sentiments, "Robert had the best dance of the night omg!! Whitney's [sic] choreo was perfect!!! #DWTS." "That really was the best 'DWTS' premiere in a long time. My money is on Robert & Whitney [sic] 🪩 #DWTS," marveled a fellow fan.

One viewer even highlighted the fact that Irwin performed so well despite the fact that he has no prior dancing experience.