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Jonathan Bailey is rooting for Robert Irwin in the upcoming Dancing with the Stars finale.
The Wicked: For Good actor, 37, surprised Irwin, 21, with a heartfelt message of support going into his last dance tonight.
“Robert Irwin, you’re an icon,” Bailey began during an Entertainment Tonight interview.
The wildlife conservationist previously put his own spin on Bailey’s Fiyero during the “Wicked Night” episode on Oct. 21, when he and partner Witney Carson earned a 36/40 cumulative score for a playful rendition of “Dancing Through Life” from the first Wicked movie.
ET caught up with PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive at Wicked: For Good’s New York premiere and recorded the message for Irwin.
“Norbert Leo Butz, who was the original Fiyero on Broadway, sent me a message when he saw the first film and he said, ‘Welcome to the brotherhood of the tighty-whitie pants of Fiyero,’ ” Bailey said.
Passing the baton of support from Fiyero to Fiyero — the dashing but complicated prince character in the film and Broadway show — Bailey added Irwin to the lineage that also includes Tony Award-winning Aaron Tveit, Taye Diggs and Adam Lambert.
“I just think you’ve got all the Fiyeros proud,” Bailey added. “I’m cheering you on for the finals.”
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In an another ET interview, Irwin and Carson reacted to the surprise message with delight.
“He knows you?” Carson, 32, exclaimed.
“That is incredible. That just means absolutely everything. I mean, what an incredible guy,” Irwin said.
Carson said she was impressed that Bailey took the time to send a message at the premiere, and Irwin chimed in to share that the actor had also sent flowers after the dancers’ “Wicked Night” performance, which was soundtracked to his vocals.
“It was such an honor to play Fiyero for the night,” Irwin said. “I mean, I love what that film represents, I love what his character represents and I just love that idea of just joy and fun. And [Jonathan Bailey] is just crushing it, like he’s just such a light.”
Bailey’s message is not the first celebrity pep talk Irwin has received during his DWTS run. Previously, Prince William called the conservationist to playfully give him a hard time for missing the Earthshot Prize in Brazil.
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In the three-hour final episode, Irwin and Carson will compete against four other pairs for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy. Remaining contestants include influencer Alix Earle with Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles with Ezra Sosa, television personality Dylan Efron with Daniella Karagach, as well as actress Elaine Hendrix with Alan Bersten.
Irwin told ET that he wants to win for a greater purpose.
“We want to represent something that’s bigger than this ballroom and bigger than ourselves,” he said.
Carson jumped in as the “protective older sister” figure to say that if anyone “deserves” to win, it’s Irwin.
“I mean, through and through, he is just a good, good human, and that’s who we need to win.”
The DWTS finale airs Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. EST/PST on ABC.
