Source: Entertainment Weekly

Robert Irwin had a serious health scare on Dancing With the Stars last night.

The 21-year-old contestant and wildlife conservationist says he experienced a brush with death while competing in his team’s group dance number.

“I almost died tonight!” Irwin exclaimed in an Entertainment Tonight interview after the episode aired. “I choked on a piece of confetti after the team dance!”

Irwin and his pro dance partner, Witney Carson, were part of the Julianne Hough–led “Team Kool” group performance Tuesday night, in which they dressed up in school uniforms and strutted along to Kool & the Gang’s 1980 hit “Celebration.”

At the end of the number, Irwin can be seen sliding under Elaine Hendrix’s legs and sprawling out across the dance floor as confetti rained down upon the group. That was when, Irwin explained, the choking incident occurred.

“I went over to Whitney and I think they cut away,” he said. “And I inhaled a piece of confetti.”

“Were you actually choking?” Carson asked, prompting Irwin to respond, “No, I was… I couldn’t breathe.”

So he asked Carson for help. “I went over to you [Carson] and I’m like…” he said before miming having something stuck in his throat. “And I just went, “Ugh!” And it just popped out! I’m not even kidding!”

When ET correspondent Deidre Behar expressed her relief that Irwin was “still here with us and you’ll be dancing next week,” he replied, “I nearly wasn’t!”

But don’t worry. Carson promised to protect the Australia Zoo star from any aerial attacks moving forward.

“I didn’t even know that was happening! I would’ve been a shield like this with the confetti,” she said, lifting her arms up to cover Irwin.

Carson and Irwin later returned to the stage to dance the paso doble to the tune of the White Stripes’ 2007 track “Icky Thump” for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night. Bruno Tonioli and special guest judge Flavor Flav both gave them 10s and Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough each gave them a 9.

“Robert, you have something that’s happening that can take you to the finish line — it’s called momentum,” Inaba said. “You are in the zone at the right moment! Keep going!”

Watch Irwin discuss nearly dying in the clip above.

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