Bindi Irwin deserves all the awards.
Let's face it. Bindi Irwin deserves all the awards.
On Monday night, Steve Irwin's 17-year-old daughter continued to pay tribute to her late father on Dancing With the Stars, as she and pro partner, Derek Hough, performed an elegant freestyle routine to Leona Lewis' "Footprints in the Sand." The tear-jerking performance was more than enough to get her into the finals against Oregon Army National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos and singer Nick Carter, but will she walk away with the mirror ball trophy? We think she should! Here's why:
WATCH: Bindi Irwin Makes Everyone Cry With Emotional 'DWTS' Finale Dance
1. She's a legitimately good dancer: Bindi has proven to be incredibly gifted at dancing. Prior to joining the DWTS cast, she had no training and she's earned multiple perfect scores. On Monday, judge Bruno Tonioli praised her precise footwork and fearlessness.
2. She's made an emotional connection with the audience: Bindi's story is so compelling for the audience, because we were all such huge fans of her dad and basically watched his daughter grow up in front of the camera. Now, we're getting to know her on a more personal level, which has made us love her even more.
3. Her partner, Derek: The 30-year-old choreographer already has five mirror ball trophies under his belt, and he's a fierce competitor. Derek also has two Emmys on his mantelpiece for his choreography.
4. A win for Bindi is a win for everybody: Sure, some stars make you feel happy for them when they win, but Bindi is the only contestant that genuinely makes you feel good about yourself when she succeeds. This probably ties into the aforementioned emotional connection. We're all living vicariously through her now.
The DWTS season 21 winner will be announced on Tuesday night when the finale airs at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.