Taking their romance to the red carpet! Dancing With the Stars' Bindi Irwin made her first public appearance with her longtime boyfriend, Chandler Powell, on Monday, Sept. 28, where the couple spoke exclusively with Us Weekly about reuniting in L.A.
Powell, an 18-year-old wakeboarder raised in Florida, first met the Australian teen back in November 2013. The pair, who've bonded over their passion for wildlife conservation, had to briefly maintain a long-distance relationship as Irwin continues to train alongside her dancing pro partner Derek Hough. The couple reunited this past weekend, and appeared to be smitten on the red carpet.
Irwin, in a bright bedazzled halter dress, cozied up to Powell and affectionately placed her hand on his stomach as they posed at the CBS Studios in L.A.
"It's awesome being here," Powell told Us exclusively after the show on Monday. "Bindi is crushing it and I loved seeing the whole show! I loved seeing everyone dance. I expected her to do really well but she is exceeding my expectations! I am really proud of her."
Irwin, 17, added to Us that it was wonderful having Powell help tend to her dance injuries.
"The tendons are all stretched and inflamed… but by next week they should be all good," the late Steve Irwin's daughter said on Monday. "He's so cute! Every night I come home and he's like, 'Here's what we're going to do: you're going to sit down here, put this ice on it…' And it's so cold I'm going, 'No! Get it off, get it off!' He's like, 'No, you have to have it 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. And then I'll make you a hot cup of tea and I'll hug you, so the rest of you will be warm, just not your foot!'"
Powell put it more simply, telling Us: "I've been on ankle duty the last couple of days, icing her down! I don't mind."
Irwin concluded to Us that she's so thankful for her beau. "He's really sweet. I'm really really lucky," the adorable Australian native gushed. "And my family is so supportive." Naturally, her family was also in the audience on Monday.
Watch the video above to see their reactions!
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