‘Dancing With the Stars’ Winner Robert Irwin Shares Rib Injury Update After Show-Stopping Finale

Robert Irwin danced through his rib pain during the season 34 finale of Dancing With the Stars — and crikey, it paid off!

After taking home the Len Goodman Mirror Ball trophy on Tuesday night, the wildlife conservationist, 21, appeared on Good Morning America with his dance partner Witney Carson and gave an update on his rib injury, which he sustained from dancing ahead of the finale.

“We’re getting there. It’s painful, but you know, no pain, no gain,” the Australian zookeeper — whose sister, Bindi Irwin, won the competition dance show 10 years ago — quipped. “But it’s all good. We wanted to push through.”

“Witney was amazing at changing up some of the moves that we had to do in there,” he continued during their Wednesday, November 26 appearance. “We had to change on the fly, but our last dance — that freestyle — was a way to say thank you to everybody who’d been on that journey.”

“We just knew we had to make it work because it was the way to just say ‘we’re so grateful for this experience,'” Robert added. “And honestly, I’ll heal up, mate, I catch crocs, I’m used to it, it’s all good!”

Carson, 32, also explained how she switched up some choreography in the freestyle to accommodate the TV personality better.

“I get tossed by the guys, and Robert usually catches me, and there was one time that we did it, and it just like killed his ribs, so I took it out,” she revealed. “Obviously, his health is my number-one priority.”