Robert Irwin jiving on Dancing With the Stars is the shot of joy we need

"The long-running reality TV competition Dancing With the Stars has developed a rep as a reputation-rehabilitation show, which is somewhat removed from its original pitch of imagine if we made celebrities dance for our amusement like little performing monkeys. Performing on Dancing With the Stars can generate massive amounts of goodwill for even the most benighted celebrity. In the US, controversial casting includes celebrity chef Paula Deen, who appeared on the show two years after making headlines for using racial slurs;"

"The reason Dancing With the Stars is so effective as reputation rehab is down to our inherent fear about being seen dancing in public. The risk celebrities take in doing the show at all let alone doing it WELL is rewarded by a potent mix of public adulation and relief. And if Dancing With the Stars can do that for disgraced celebrities, it's no surprise that audiences are going wild after the success of the universally beloved Robert Irwin."

"The 21-year-old conservationist and scion of Australia's wildlife-wrangling Irwin family made his DWTS debut on the 34th season of the US series on 16 September, with a performance that judge Derek Hough called the best first dance I have ever seen on the show and which scored 15/20, tying for top of the leaderboard. Channelling more than a little Hugh-Jackman-in-Boy-from-Oz aesthetic, wearing a camp sparkly jungle outfit, Irwin with dance partner, Witney Carson performed a very energetic jive to Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild."

Dancing With the Stars has become a reputation-rehabilitation platform that can generate massive goodwill for controversial celebrities. High-profile US castings include Paula Deen, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Olivia Jade Giannulli; political figures such as Sean Spicer and Pauline Hanson have also sought image shifts via the format. Not every contestant emerges unscathed, but the show often serves as a powerful public distraction. The effectiveness rests on an inherent fear of being seen dancing in public; taking that risk, and performing well, frequently yields adulation and a sense of relief. Robert Irwin delivered a widely praised debut that tied for the top score.

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