Robert Irwin and Witney Carson earned 30/30 for their Instant Dance cha-cha in the Dancing with the Stars season 34 finale on November 25, 2025. PerthNow reported that some viewers objected, saying Irwin appeared to pause mid-dance. ABC’s recap confirms the perfect score but does not document a pause, so the freeze remains a viewer allegation—not an independently verified event.
Which dance received the disputed 30/30?
The score in question was for Irwin and Carson’s Instant Dance cha-cha to DNCE’s “Cake By the Ocean.” It was not their Judges’ Choice quickstep. ABC’s finale recap records these three scores for the pair:
| Finale round | Dance and music | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Judges’ Choice | Quickstep to Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” | 29/30 |
| Instant Dance | Cha-cha to DNCE’s “Cake By the Ocean” | 30/30 |
| Freestyle | To Sam Sparro’s “Black & Gold” and Avicii’s “The Nights” | 30/30 |
ABC’s account describes the judges’ reaction to the cha-cha positively: Bruno Tonioli said Irwin was “on fire,” while Carrie Ann Inaba praised the partnership. Perfect scores were not unique to Irwin and Carson; ABC also reported 30s for other finalists’ individual dances.
What did viewers say about the score?
PerthNow reported selected social-media comments from viewers who questioned whether the cha-cha deserved all 10s and alleged that Irwin froze during the routine. Other comments defended him and pointed to his rib injury. These posts illustrate differing reactions; they are not a poll, and the available coverage does not establish how common either opinion was.
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ABC’s recap confirms the judges’ 30/30 but does not mention a pause. The sources do not establish what the judges privately considered, whether any pause affected their scoring, or how viewers voted on the performance.
What is known about Irwin’s rib pain?
In a November 26, 2025, Good Morning America follow-up, Irwin and Carson said he had rib pain before the finale and that they changed the freestyle choreography. Carson explained that a lift in which Irwin caught her aggravated his ribs, so she removed it. She said, “His health is my No. 1 priority.”
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That account concerns a modified freestyle lift. It does not show that rib pain caused the alleged pause during the Instant Dance cha-cha.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did the finale result work?
Five pairs competed in the season 34 finale, which included Judges’ Choice, Instant Dance, and freestyle rounds. Irwin and Carson finished first, followed by Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten.
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ABC says the winner was determined by combining judges’ scores with live viewer votes. Its recap does not give vote totals or enough detail about the weighting to attribute the result to any one dance or score. Irwin and Carson won the finale, but the available figures cannot show how much their cha-cha score contributed.
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