When the TV personality stepped onto the “Dancing With the Stars” stage Tuesday night, he wasn’t just dancing for a score — he was honoring the woman who kept his family strong after tragedy and quietly paying tribute to his late father, Steve.

Robert Irwin, the 20-year-old wildlife conservationist and son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, left the “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom drenched in tears after delivering a gut-wrenching performance dedicated to the most important woman in his life — his mother, Terri Irwin.