Prince William "Masterminded" His Surprise 'Dancing with the Stars' Appearance

Prince William made his ballroom dancing debut on Tuesday night’s Dancing with the Stars, and it wasn’t just the viewers who were shocked to see him. The prince made a surprise FaceTime call to his friend and Earthshot ambassador, Robert Irwin, and his dance partner Witney Carson, ahead of their performance.

During the video call, Prince William teased Irwin, calling him “twinkle toes.” The prince said “guys, you’ve got a seriously good chance of winning it,” before telling his friend how much he missed him at the recent Earthshot Awards. “Best of luck on the show,” Prince William said to the dance partners before signing off.

The Prince of Wales and Robert Irwin have a long history of friendship through their environmental passions. Irwin is a Global Ambassador for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, using his platform “to bring Earthshot solutions to a wider audience.” Prince William is “incredibly fond of the Irwins,” a Palace insider revealed to Rob Shuter’s #ShuterScoop. “He sees Robert as carrying on his father Steve’s legacy, and that’s something William deeply respects.”

Palace insiders revealed to Shuter that it was the prince’s idea to call the dancing duo. “The Prince of Wales personally masterminded his emotional 'Dancing With the Stars' cameo—secretly coordinating with producers,” Shuter shared in Wednesday’s Substack.

A palace source revealed to Shuter that “William wanted to do something unexpected—warm, human, and joyful.” The FaceTime call was filmed just hours before the show aired. “He didn’t want it to feel like a PR stunt,” says one insider. “He wanted it to feel real.”