Robert Irwin on the family dynamics behind one of Australia’s most famous names

“It’s interesting that despite being in the public eye, I can definitely still live a very authentic life,” the 20-year-old says on the latest episode of the podcast Mental as Anyone with J.Mo. “As far as family dynamics go, we’re the most undramatic, boring people in the world, which is great. What we do is absolutely insane. You jump on crocodiles, you save wildlife, you do this and that. But as far as the Irwin family dynamic goes, we’re just, decent, just vanilla ice cream, we’re so boring. There’s nothing wrong with having a boring family dynamic. In fact, that’s exactly what you strive for.”

Irwin is the son of the late crocodile hunter Steve, who tragically died in 2006 at the age of 44 while filming on the Great Barrier Reef after a stingray stinger pierced his chest.

He was just three years old at the time. His older sister Bindi was eight.

The siblings, along with their mother Terri, continue their father’s important conservation work at Australia Zoo in Queensland. As a family, they are known worldwide, yet they manage to keep their private lives exactly as they are: private.

Irwin is nominated for the prestigious Gold Logie this year, against I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Co-host Julia Morris and other industry veterans such as Larry Emdur and Sonia Kruger.

He is the youngest Gold Logie nominee since Delta Goodrem in 2004.

“I’ve always known what my purpose is, what gets me out of bed every day, what I’m passionate about, what I love,” he said. “I’m very, very, very lucky that I found my calling at a very young age and now I get to pursue it every day, which I’m very proud of. The fact that I have a platform is something I don’t take for granted, I see it as an incredible opportunity to make a difference. I have a platform where I can hopefully say, ‘It’s OK to have a bad day, here are some tips to get through it,’ and I can spread a positive message.”

Irwin said each day brought new memories of his father, who was beloved in Australia and abroad.

“I lost someone at a very young age and I’m excited to get little pieces of him back,” he said. “It’s easy to feel like time is passing and you’re further away from someone with each year that goes by, but you have to remember that every year I hear a new story or see a new picture of me and my dad. It’s almost like every year I get closer to him, like every year I get a little more of him back.”

* A new episode of Mental As Anyone is released every Tuesday.

Originally published as Robert Irwin: “We are so boring”