Rylee Arnold
may have willed her next
Dancing With the Stars
partner into existence, and fans are loving the match.
The 19-year-old dancer had been hoping for a partnership with Australian conservationist
Robert Irwin
long before his casting was confirmed.
Back in September 2024, Arnold revealed on the Lightweights podcast that Irwin had been top of mind when she imagined her dream partner for the next season.
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“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,” Arnold shared.
“People were tagging me in things. So I was like, ‘It could be them.'”
Though names like Ross Lynch had been floated as potential stars for season 34, Arnold said she didn’t know the final list of celebrities until filming began.
Reflecting on her last season, she said she had a similar instinct about Stephen Nedoroscik, the Olympic gymnast she was ultimately paired with in season 33.
“When Stephen was first announced, I was like, ‘He needs to be my partner,'” she said.
“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 were a breakout duo, making it to the top four and later hitting the road together for the DWTS Live tour, which just wrapped.
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With season 34 on the horizon, Irwin has been confirmed as the first celebrity in the new cast, just like Nedoroscik was last season.
Arnold even helped announce his participation alongside Derek Hough, Julianne Hough, Alfonso Ribeiro, and fellow pro Ezra Sosa during Hulu’s Get Real House event on April 22 in Beverly Hills.
“Welcome to the fam @robertirwinphotography,” she wrote on Instagram afterward. “This is AMAZING!!!!!!!.”
Irwin, best known for his wildlife work and famous family, echoed the excitement.
“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,” he wrote. “I cannot believe it is about to become a reality. So grateful.”
