Rylee Arnold may very well be starting a trend of manifesting her Dancing With the Stars partners.
Before Robert Irwin was announced as the first celebrity cast member of DWTS season 34, Arnold, 19, expressed her interest in partnering up with the Australian conservationist and TV personality during a September 2024 interview on the “Lightweights” podcast.
“For some reason, I had this thought that Robert Irwin was gonna be my partner because I kind of had put it out into the atmosphere,” she shared while discussing her season 33 partner. At the time, host Joe Vulpis noted that he “really thought” actor and singer Ross Lynch was another top contender to compete with her.
“People were talking about it so much. People were tagging me in things. So, I was like, ‘ could be them,” Arnold explained. “But at that point, I’m literally like, ‘I have no idea.’ And I did not know any of the celebrities until I was in the show. But when Stephen [Nedoroscik] was first announced, I was like, ‘He needs to be my partner.’ I was just like, ‘He’s awesome. I need someone like that as my partner this year.’
Arnold said she felt like she “manifested” being paired with the Olympic gymnast on season 33. “And then when he got announced early, I was like, ‘I really hope that’s the person that walks into the room.’”
Arnold and Nedoroscik, 26, became a fan-favorite duo while competing on the ABC series last year, ending the season in fourth place. The two continued to show off their close bond on the Dancing With the Stars Live tour, which wrapped earlier this month.
One hint that Irwin, 21, could be Arnold’s latest partner is that both he and Nedoroscik were the first celebrity cast members announced for their respective DWTS seasons. Arnold even helped reveal Irwin’s season 34 casting alongside judge Derek Hough, hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough and fellow pro Ezra Sosa at Hulu’s inaugural Get Real House event in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, April 22.
“Welcome to the fam @robertirwinphotography,” she wrote via her Instagram Story after his casting news broke. “This is AMAZING!!!!!!!✨🪩✨.”
Irwin shared his excitement about joining the show in an Instagram post of his own, writing, “This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid watching my sister’s incredible journey on the show back in 2016. I cannot believe it is about to become a reality. So grateful 🙌🏼.”
Robert has expressed his interest in joining DWTS in the years since his sister, Bindi Irwin, took home the mirrorball trophy with Derek, 39, during season 21 in 2015. “11 year old me is beside himself right now 😂,” he captioned a throwback of himself stating he would “love” to do the show in 2015 via Instagram on Wednesday, April 23. “Bindi, thank you for inspiring me to take on this next adventure 🙌🏼☺️ @dancingwiththestars, I’m so grateful for the life-changing experience ahead.”
Like Arnold, he seemingly manifested his casting in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly last year. “[Would I] consider it? I mean, come on. It’s been considered. Let’s do it. I’m keen. I’m ready to paso doble my way into this world of dancing,” he previously told Us.
Robert also got the stamp of approval from his sister’s former partner. “Dancing with @bindisueirwin was a profound honor, especially sharing her touching tribute to her father. This is a season I will cherish forever,” Derek captioned a clip of one of his and Bindi’s performances via Instagram on Tuesday. “Seeing little @robertirwinphotography in the audience, cheering her on, made it all the more special. Now, almost ten years later, having Robert join Season 34 is surreal and heartwarming. Can’t wait to see him light up the dance floor!”
