14 DAY TRIAL // Bindi Irwin chose the year 2006 for the latest Dancing With the Stars show on ABC, which saw her and her pro dancing partner Derek Hough do the Contemporary. That was the year when Bindi’s father, the world-famous Steve “the Crocodile Hunter” Irwin died after getting stung by a stingray.
The dance was nearly flawless, earning the 17-year-old a total score of 28 out of 30. It also landed the pair their first 10 and extremely warm praises from the judges.
As you can see in the video below, by the end of the segment, almost everyone in the audience, including the three judges, were in tears. While the routine wasn’t perfect, the way it was framed, as a tribute to Bindi’s father and a reason to make him feel proud of her, was.
It was also absolutely heartbreaking, with the pre-taped footage including older videos and photos of Steve and Bindi and a short interview with Bindi’s mother, who praised her for the courageous way in which she dealt with her loss at the time.
Julianne Hough, one of the 3 judges, said that the routine was “breathtaking,” while clearly struggling with emotions. Bruno Tonioli gave it a 10 and said that Steve was, without a doubt, proud of his daughter, just like the rest of the world was.
Carrie Ann Inaba said she was happy to witness such a bright young girl evolve on the dancefloor, inviting viewers into her life.
It was truly one of the most beautiful moments on the show.
I love you. Thank you for always being with me, wherever I go. pic.twitter.com/OPlmYBGLTZ
— Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) October 6, 2015