Witney Carson gets emotional explaining why her Dancing With the Stars season 34 win means so much

Dancing With the Stars season 34 ended with Witney Carson and Robert Irwin winning the mirrorball trophy, and Carson later shared why the result held personal meaning for her.

Carson spoke in an Instagram video posted on November 27 while preparing for her family’s Thanksgiving gathering.

She said she was still processing the reactions after the finale. Carson said, “I seriously have no words,” and explained that she was still coming down from the final “adrenaline.” She also said that sharing the win with Irwin made it significant because of their work throughout the season.

Carson and Irwin won the season during the November 25 finale. Carson said there was no point during the final moments when she felt certain of the outcome.

She said she told Irwin that they had already gained a season they valued, no matter what the result would be.

Carson also shared that the number eleven held meaning for her and her husband, Carson McAllister, after a family loss, and she noted that it had been eleven years since she last won the show with Alfonso Ribeiro. She said this connection made the moment stand out as she looked back at the season and the work involved.

Irwin’s progress and Carson’s response to the Dancing with the Stars win 
 

Carson spoke about the work Irwin put into the competition and said she saw steady effort throughout the season. She said, “If anyone deserves the mirrorball, it is Robert Irwin,” noting that he began the show without dance experience.

Carson said Irwin gave full effort in rehearsal and performance, and she said he showed interest each day in learning new choreography. Carson also said, “He proved to himself and to America that he was becoming a dancer,” and explained that his progress matched the goal of the show.

Carson described her emotions after Ribeiro, her partner from season 19, announced their win. She shared that she remembered her earlier win with him and connected the timeline to the number eleven, which she said held meaning for her and her husband.

She said the win came after many years in which she reached the later rounds without winning again, and she added that the earlier outcomes made this result stand out. Carson said, “There’s just so much to be thankful for,” as she looked back at the season.

She also said she would remember the experience because of the work, the schedule, and the response she and Irwin received throughout the season.

Family support and Carson’s reflections on the season 

Carson said the season felt important to her because of the support she received from her family. Her husband and their sons, Leo and Jet, attended the finale and met her onstage after the announcement.

Carson said their presence helped her throughout the season and added context to her win. She said the season brought challenges, long rehearsal periods and weekly routines, but she said the process allowed her to see steady change in her work with Irwin.

She shared, “We had the most amazing season together,” when she spoke about their time as partners, and she said the rehearsals gave them a shared focus from the start of the competition.

Carson also explained that she felt strong emotions while giving her Thanksgiving message and reviewing the season.

She said the messages she received after the win were immediate and consistent, and she said they reminded her of how the show reached viewers. She added that she and Irwin approached each week with the same routine and that the work built a pattern that continued through the finale.

Carson said the season would remain a part of what she tells her children about her work, and she said the win closed an important part of her time on the show.

Stay tuned for more updates.