This Guide to Robert Irwin’s Family Will Make You Say Crikey

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For Robert Irwin, being on Dancing With the Stars has been quite a journey.

After spending two weeks at the top of the judges’ scores, the wildlife advocate and his professional partner Witney Carson will find out if they can stay in first place with their salsa to Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” during TikTok night on September 30th.

However, he knows the competition is tough with Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, Boy Meets World’s Danielle Fishel, The Parent Trap‘s Elaine Hendrix, social media star Alix Earle and The Traitors’ Dylan Efron. And those aren’t the only well-known faces – Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui, Pentatonix‘s Scott Hoying, comedian Andy Richter, The Baldwins’ Hilaria Baldwin and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt are all hoping to win the Mirrorball Trophy.

Although Robert is used to competing, Dancing With the Stars is unlike anything he’s experienced before.

“The hardest part isn’t the physical challenge, but the mental one,” the I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here co-host told TopMob News after his second dance. “Your body is moving in a way you’ve never felt before. There’s no other time in your life where your body is constantly working against a partner, and every dance is unique.”

If Robert ever wants advice, he can always ask his sister Bindi Irwin, who was the winner of season 21 back in 2015.
 
“It’s really wonderful to learn and discover what your body can do,” Robert shared. “It’s incredible, and my sister said it perfectly: it feels the most like flying you’ll ever experience.”

Both Bindi and their mom Terri Irwin have been supporting Robert during the competition, and he believes his late father Steve Irwin would have been very excited.

“I want to make him proud,” the 21-year-old explained. “I want to honor his memory and continue his work. That’s why I’m here, and also to build my own legacy, something I never imagined I’d get to do on Dancing With the Stars.”

While fans anticipate seeing how Robert and the other celebrities perform on Dancing With the Stars, continue reading to learn more about the Irwin family.

For Steve Irwin, becoming the Crocodile Hunter wasn’t just a job-it felt like his life’s purpose.

“I was raised with it,” he explained to Yahoo! Australia in 2002. “I didn’t really have a say in it.”

Growing up, Steve assisted his father, Bob Irwin, a herpetologist, and his mother, Lyn Irwin, who rescued and cared for wildlife, on various adventures. He also helped at their reptile park in Queensland, Australia. Later, he worked with the government to capture and move crocodiles to keep the public safe and help protect the species.

In 1991, Steve took charge of his parents’ reptile park. It was there he met his future wife, Terri Irwin, who was visiting from Oregon. They married in 1992 and soon began filming the docuseries The Crocodile Hunter.

Steve and Terri continued to share their love for conservation through their TV shows and park, which they expanded into the Australia Zoo. They also became parents to their children, Bindi Irwin and Robert Irwin.

Sadly, Steve passed away on September 4, 2006, after being pierced in the heart by a stingray barb while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44 years old. But his impact continues through his work and the lives of his family.

“The thing I’m most proud of,” he shared in a video from Australia Zoo, “is my kids.”

Similar to Steve, Terri’s passion for animals began in childhood-she worked at both an emergency vet hospital and a wildlife rehabilitation center before finding her life partner.

“I truly believe it was destiny that brought us together,” she shared with Oprah Winfrey in 2002, “and that willingness to take chances and not be scared. Steve was always brave. But when he asked me to marry him and move to the Australian outback to catch crocodiles, it took a lot of trust to say yes to such an amazing opportunity with the most incredible, wonderful, attractive man I’d ever met.”

After Steve passed away, Terri continued to manage Australia Zoo, lead their charity Wildlife Warriors, and champion conservation work. She also published her memoir My Steve in 2007, became an Australian citizen in 2009, and appeared on the show Crikey! It’s the Irwins alongside her children from 2018 to 2022.

“My life is incredibly fulfilling,” she told Us Weekly in May 2025. “And while I miss Steve every day, I feel very fortunate.”

Born in July 1998, Bindi has been a familiar face to viewers her whole life.

She first appeared on TV in The Crocodile Hunter, and later starred in shows like Bindi: The Jungle Girl and Crikey! It’s the Irwins. In 2015, she also won season 21 of Dancing With the Stars. 

Like her parents, Bindi is dedicated to conservation. She’s also the author of the children’s book You Are a Wildlife Warrior!: Saving Animals & the Planet and a supporter of people with endometriosis, openly sharing her own experiences.

In 2021, she and her husband Chandler Powell welcomed their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, a year after getting married.

Many people remember the heartfelt speech Bindi gave at her father’s funeral when she was just eight years old, and she continues to honor his legacy.

“To the world, you will forever be remembered as the greatest Wildlife Warrior,” she posted on Instagram in February 2025. “To me, you’ll always be the most incredible dad and now our family’s guiding light. I love you and I miss you every day.”

Robert Irwin arrived in December 2003, five years after his sister, Bindi.

Like the rest of his family, he’s used TV to educate people about the natural world, appearing in shows such as Wild But True and Crikey! It’s the Irwins.

He’s also hosted programs like I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, worked as a model, and is currently a contestant on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars. Beyond being in front of the camera, Robert is a skilled wildlife photographer.

He also remains actively involved with the Australia Zoo and continues the conservation work started by his father.

“He is my superhero. He always will be,” Robert shared with BBC Radio 2 in 2024. “He was, I think, a superhero to an entire generation. Every day, someone shares a story about him. To hear that means the world to me. It’s an honor, truly an honor, to ensure his life’s work and legacy continue.”

Just as how Steve met Terri when she was an American tourist at the Australia Zoo, Bindi met her Florida-born husband Chandler at the same place.

That fateful moment took place in 2013, when Chandler (then a professional wakeboarder) was in Australia for a competition and went on a zoo tour led by Bindi.

“We hit it off right away,” he recalled on a 2024 episode of the In Real Life Podcast. “There was no looking back as soon as we met each other. It was like we were on the same wavelength immediately.”

Because they were just teenagers at the time, Chandler spoke to Bindi’s mom before pursuing a relationship.

“I didn’t hear from Chandler for quite a while afterwards,” Bindi told Entertainment Tonight in 2016, “and that’s because he sent a letter asking if he could stay in contact with me.”

In a full-circle moment, they then tied the knot at the Australia Zoo in 2020.

“Marrying your best friend …” Bindi wrote on Instagram in May 2025, “10/10 would recommend.”

Grace was born in March 2021 and immediately showed the same passion for animals as her family. However, her mother, Bindi, isn’t ready to let her near the crocodiles just yet.

She explained to TODAY.com in February 2025, “When Grace turns 18 and *if* she’s interested in helping us with the crocodiles, that would be wonderful-but not right now, and not for a long time.” She emphasized, “I have a good understanding of animal behavior, and I never put Grace in a situation or near an animal she isn’t prepared for. Right now, she’s really focused on koalas, tortoises, giraffes, and red pandas… and I know she’s perfectly comfortable with them.”

And yes, Grace is well aware of her grandfather, Steve.

Bindi shared with Us Weekly in May 2024, “I’ve always wanted to make sure Grace knows her dad, who she calls ‘Grandpa Crocodile,'” and added that it’s “really special to watch her enjoy the documentaries.”

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2025-09-30 10:18