By Kayla DeKraker
Robert Irwin is following his older sister Bindi’s footsteps onto the dance floor.
The son of the legendary “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin will perform on the next season of DANCING WITH THE STARS.
“There is no sibling rivalry,” Robert told PEOPLE. Now 26-year-old Bindi competed on and won the show in 2015 with dance partner Derek Hough.
“It’s actually really nice. She has just said, ‘Go into this and make it your own.’ She said it’s going to be a completely different experience,” he added. Robert’s partner hasn’t been announced yet.
When his Bindi performed at age 16, Robert was only 11 years old.
“I mean, I was there as a little 11-year-old kid with my little blonde bowl cut watching her and trying to support from the sidelines, and now Bindi is going to be there supporting me, and she’ll have a lot more dance wisdom than 11-year-old Robert,” he told the outlet. “I didn’t have much to bring to the table, but she does. She’s done it. She’s won it.”
And just like every other situation, Robert will look up to his big sister.
“I’m definitely going to be leaning on her a lot, as I have throughout my entire life, to be honest,” he said. “I think loss brings a family together like nothing else, and for us, for Bindi and myself, we’ve always had each other’s backs through everything, and this is going to be no different. I feel very lucky that I’ve got her in my corner.”
Bindi took to Instagram to encourage her younger brother in his new endeavor.
“DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON 34 – LET’S GOOOO! Robert, you are going to absolutely shine in the ballroom. I wish I could express the magnitude of how proud I am of you and everything you have achieved,” she said.
“My sister’s incredible,” Robert added in an interview with TODAY. “She’s such an inspiration, my greatest inspirations in life, you know? That’s my mom and my sister. She won DANCING WITH THE STARS. She was incredible. So, I’m really leaning on all of her knowledge. She’s already given a few tips. But she never danced either.”
He joked, “She put on high heels doing that show, and she calls it her ‘baby giraffe moment.’”
The Irwins lost their dad, Steve, on Sept. 4, 2006, after he was attacked by a sting ray. Robert was only 2 when his father died.
“I think what dad really showed the world was, of course, to have that appreciation for the natural world and to treat every living being on this planet as you would wish to be treated. I think that’s something that I’ll always carry with me,” Robert previously said of his dad.
He continued, “I think that more than anything, I would hope that I really continue this message that life is short, and we have to live every day to the fullest.”
DWTS fans will have to wait a few more months until Season 34 premieres, but they can be sure that Robert will continue to take inspiration from his sister and honor his dad’s legacy.
Read Next: How Robert Irwin Carries on Father Steve Irwin’s Legacy
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