Bindi Irwin overcomes injuries, Nick Carter gets emotional on "Dancing with the Stars"
It was Icon Week on "Dancing With the Stars," where contestants paid tribute to the people who have inspired them in their lives, and fan favorite Bindi Irwin took the opportunity to pay tribute to screen legend Grace Kelly.
Before she hit the dance floor, Irwin and her partner Derek Hough had a lot to prepare for -- it turns out, the biggest hurdles the 17-year-old conservationist had to overcome this week were the intense pressure and physical pain.
As Hough explained in the pre-taped segment before their routine, Irwin is considered by many fans to be the frontrunner to win the season. But this praise comes with a price, which is the immense pressure Irwin has been under to master her dances.
"Seeing her happy and positive all the time, I guess it could be misinterpreted for making things look easy," Hough shared, "when that is not the case."
Irwin's relentless rehearsing and efforts to hone her skills have led to another major problem for the young dancer: physical injury.
Rolling up her pants, Irwin showed off the massive bruises to her legs she's suffered from rehearsing knee spins. Removing her shoes, Irwin displayed the enormous blisters covering the bottoms of her feet -- and revealed that she's even lost several toenails.
Despite the pain, she hasn't stopped dancing or even slowed down a bit.
"I've never met someone who's worked as hard," Hough said. "She's relentless. She just doesn't stop until she gets it."
According to Irwin, it isn't just the injuries that seem to be hurting her -- it's also her tendency to bottle up all the negativity she feels.
"I'm one to never complain, and to never let anything show other than the good side. I try so hard to always be a positive person," Irwin explained. "I keep everything inside. I internalize it to the point where I feel ill."
However, Irwin fought through all the pain and pressure to deliver a phenomenal performance on Monday, dedicated to her favorite silver screen star. Dressed to the nines, Irwin, Hough and a score of backup dancers pulled off a number -- appropriately set to Mika's "Grace Kelly" -- that redefined class and showmanship.