Robert Irwin is rumoured to be dating one of his Dancing With the Stars US troupe members, almost two years after his split from Rorie Buckley.
The Aussie wildlife conservationist, 21, sparked romance rumours with brunette beauty Hailey Bills, 19, after the pair were reportedly spotted getting cosy behind the scenes of the high-profile dance competition.
Celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a tip from a source who claimed to have witnessed their romance unfold.
“Everyone’s favourite DWTS bachelor has paused his search for his American dream girl to have some play time beyond the ballroom,” the blind item, submitted under the subject “Oh crikey!”, read.
“My source tells me he’s been spotted a few times in ****** **** getting cosy with a brunette…the same one he follows around on set.
“Notice how she’s the only troupe member he follows on Instagram? She’s also been liking some interesting comments on TikTok.”
While the item did not name Hailey as Irwin’s new love interest, her initials match the pseudonyms in the email, R.I. and H.B.
R.I. stands for Robert Irwin, and fans of the Aussie heartthrob put two and two together to identify H.B as Hailey after noticing Robert follows the professional dancer on social media.
Neither Hailey nor Robert has confirmed or denied the speculation.
Steve Irwin’s son shared a video on Instagram of himself enthusiastically dancing with the brunette on the street on Tuesday.
The pair looked elated together and demonstrated evident chemistry.
Robert, in the caption, called the star his “honorary troupe member”.
Hailey fueled speculation the pair were an item earlier this year when she shared a since-deleted TikTok which made a subtle reference to Robert.
“Taking notes on what faces to make in the skybox from now on,” the dancer wrote, referring to the platform where judges reveal scores.
She included the hashtags “dwts” and “wildlife,” which fans indicated was a nod to the conservationist.
The 19-year-old star made her DWTS debut this year as a troupe member, a group of backup dancers who perform opening sequences and fill in for the celebrity cast whenever they need extra dancers.
However, she is no stranger to the show and served as a pro dancer on the short-lived spinoff, Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, in 2018.
While fans of the Irwins hold out hopes Robert will reveal a romance, they may need to wait a little while longer, after he said girlfriends were “just a point of distraction” in a recent interview with The Viall Files Podcast.
“I’m locked in…I’m kind of at this point in my life where I’m completely open to it and let it happen, but I’m not in any crazy rush,” he said.
Robert added he hopes his next woman has “their own world and passions that you can kind of find what you both love and form that together.”
“Someone just adventurous and fun and really kind is really important to me. And someone family focused. Family is everything to me.”
He previously mentioned his ideal partner would be an American woman.
Robert and Rorie Buckley, the niece of the late actor Heath Ledger, announced they had split on social media in February 2024.
“We wanted to share that we have decided to go our separate ways but profoundly appreciate all of the time spent together and wish one another all the very best into the future,” a joint statement read.
“We wish to express the gratitude and respect we have for one another as we continue our journeys on different paths.
“We won’t be commenting further on this, and really appreciate your respect and privacy at this time.”
