A listener production people will come up to me and it's it's a very emotional thing and people
will say I grew up without a father figure and your dad Robert was was a father figure to me
what an amazing thing what an amazing thing what an incredible person but he had such
such an energy a powerful energy he was like a father figure for an entire generation that is
such a beautiful thing and it makes me emotional even now I lucked out I really lucked out big time
hi I'm Jess Rowe and this is the Jess Rowe big talk show a podcast that skips the small talk
and goes big and deep from love to loss and everything in between I want to show you
a different side of people who seem to have it all together in these raw and honest conversations
about the things that matter wildlife warrior Robert Irwin is someone that you all know
he's grown up in the spotlight after first coming to our attention in the arms of his dad
crocodile hunter Steve Irwin his mum Terri and sister Bindi have always been a tight unit
especially after the death of his dad when Robert was just two years old Robert is now making a
name for himself co-hosting I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here on 10 and 10 play now I was excited
to have Robert in the podcasting studio and even more so when his beautiful mum Terri surprised me
and came along as well wait until you hear the way that Robert talks about his mum and it was
such a moment for me having Terri listen to her son describe her and the role that she's played
in the man that he is today in such a moving way Robert I'm so excited super pumped to have
you on the podcast so am I I'm so stoked thank you so much for having me it's so wonderful to
get to talk to you I and my whole family have admired you from afar for such a long time
so it's just it's an absolute honour it really is oh my goodness that and you've got the the leopard
going too like you're wearing it yeah brought the leopard for you I wanted to make you feel
comfortable but you saying that to me I really want to pinch myself because my daughters who
are teenagers now when I tell them who I have on the podcast who I'm interviewing they're like oh
yeah whoever who's that I don't know who that is but when I said you were coming on they're like
oh my like I've made it in their eyes that's so sweet that's really really kind that means
the world I think for me it's it's funny I'm just kind of I feel like this bloke from Biwa
in this on the Sunshine Coast just sort of doing my thing and and it always means so much when
people understand and appreciate the message that I've got and and it it's it's a really
meaningful thing so thank you that means a lot oh well because you do have that ability I mean
your whole family has that ability to connect so well with people and I just want to let our
listeners in on a bit of a moment for me because my daughters are thrilled I mean I'm so excited
I'm talking to you but I got to meet your mum just before yes she came into the studio and I was just
like oh my goodness that is Terry this is the reason she's here I mean when I found out I was
gonna do this podcast mum's like I've gotta come I have to I have to meet so it's it's um yeah very
special for her and for all of us oh well full circle moment for all of us but what I suppose
I want to chat with you about is because with my podcast I love to dig deep to go deep with people
and I must say when I was thinking about chatting with you because you are so polished and so you
have this wonderful way about you in public the way you carry yourself through the world
and I wonder though are there moments when you kind of feel like oh I just wish I didn't have
to always be like that like what's the real you or who is Robert Irwin it's pretty funny
the Robert Irwin that you see is the Robert Irwin that you get there's really no difference
I think it's funny people used to say that a lot about my dad you know that was the biggest question
was always okay you know he's 110 percent all the time what's he like when the camera's not
rolling and the answer was always about 120 percent he was I mean probably dialed up even
more off camera and that's the thing when you live your authentic self your just truth your life when
you're so invested in a purpose and a mission which I've had from such a young age it sort of
just naturally follows through but you're right it's weird having grown up in the public eye
you're always on camera it's always part of it but it also has meant having a camera around
just feels like having a mate you know I mean just sort of like you're talking to a mate
because most of the time I know the camera operator on the other side so you're just
sort of having a conversation so it's nice it means whenever I'm doing any sort of filming
or public speaking or whatever I can actually be 100 percent myself because that's just how I've
grown up so that's really nice and it means you can put your guard down so I often say stuff that
I go oh wow I was not really expecting that to come out of my mouth but you know it's all part
of it I think what I love about what you do is you're a wildlife warrior and you really
spread that message about conservation through the world for a lot of young people especially
they are like my daughter she's an eco warrior I call her love that and we need more of those
yeah we do don't we but sometimes you can feel a little what can I do what would your message be
to people thinking well the problem's too big climate change is too big no it's too hard
you're so right with what you say that is the start of change always comes from society from
individuals realising I have the power and I have a say in this I am part of the change to be made
you don't have to be Robert Irwin you don't have to be David Atbury you don't have to be
Greta Thunberg you don't have to I mean just invest every single waking moment of your life
to it you can if you want that's great good on you that's what I've done but if not it's okay
you just have to start from a small level and it starts with realising your own voice your own
potential to make change and also the most important thing for adults is to encourage
kids to realise their place in this and their voice and what they can do that is such an
important role and like what you were saying with with your daughter having that sort of mindset
from a young age is so important we've got a program called visionary wildlife warriors
right and that targets youth to sort of spark a responsibility for the natural world whether
that's a clean up the beach day clean up your local park fundraise for saving rhinos you know
it could be anything and it's just these this little grassroots sort of spark to go okay I
raised 100 bucks selling bracelets and that is going towards protecting rhinos I did that and
if you're 10 years old doing that imagine what you're going to achieve when you're 20 imagine
what you're going to achieve when as you grow up and your voice just gets larger and larger so
the most important thing is is believing in your own voice and and having that start from a young
age realising it's going to take all of us making a small change not some of us making a giant
change you know to really get to the root cause of the issues that face our planet
such important advice to sum up in a sentence isn't it I think you summed it up beautifully
thank you you mentioned there about a voice finding a voice are there times when you've
struggled to find your voice or have you always been clear it's so funny I feel like from the
time I was knee-high to a grasshopper I have been very confident very just you know go go go I think
it's probably genetics so do you think that's where it comes from I think it comes from the
fact that I've had such a nurturing family and I think also the building blocks of my life you
know that one to three period of time while I didn't get much time with dad I got him at the
most important time so my entire you know that point where you're soaking up all of the knowledge
of the world when you're a little little kid that was all saturated with dad's passion his enthusiasm
and of course my mum this determined amazing brave strong woman that I look up to more than
anyone else in this world you know it's having those sort of role models and that really caring
environment to go you know what find your own voice if you want to be an astronaut be an
astronaut that mum was very very keen on saying whatever you want to do just take whatever
direction it's your life just go for it and I always gravitated toward wildlife from the
time I was tiny I mean growing up there but I really wanted to live in a zoo I mean hello
I mean come on I wish I could I'm out there jumping crocs at five years old I mean I think
this is how it's going to work and so I always knew that where I wanted to get to to spread a
message of positivity of conservation of all of that but I found I could do that in my own way
I could find Robert's voice you know what I mean my own voice behind the camera and and that's been
very special for me so I can continue the honor of a lifetime continuing my dad's legacy
but I get to do that in in my own way which is it's a big thing for me I'm very very proud of
that and that's my family really they instilled that for me your family it is such a tight knit
group isn't it isn't it and I read and I thought this was so beautiful how both your mom and your
sister Bindi you say how they protected you once your dad passed that they really put a barrier
between you and everyone else they really were incredibly nurturing and also they were the people
that were my my two biggest role models particularly you know my mom and sister are
the most powerful women I know and when you have these people that you can look up to that just
lead by example they walk the walk it's so important because when you're young I mean I
lost dad I was two I hadn't even turned three yet I have memories I have distant memories but
when you're that little how do you process grief it most of that is confusion most of that is
so when's dad coming back like you know you go out to his motorbike and you look and go and
I'm used to him starting up the engine and taking me on the morning park checks
when's that going to happen so that was a very difficult thing to to navigate and I didn't
realize it until I was older and I went wow my mom was raising Bindi and I keeping us safe keeping
us nurtured making sure we could do what we loved like Bindi particularly she loved filming
documentaries she loved being out there keeping dad's message alive she was able to nurture
both of us exactly how we needed it except at the same time she was continuing Australia Zoo
this empire of positive change that dad and mum created she was keeping that all going
and when I got older I realized well hang on a minute mum really is a force to be reckoned
with that is no small feat everyone was betting against her everyone was saying the zoo will be
sold there were news publications who I won't name here but news publications who were betting
money behind the scenes on how long it would take before mum sold the zoo so she just sailed
through that and and for me I went wow I've got these great role models to look up to I felt so
protected nurtured but still able to send it in life you know just well to still be you and I
think as you say yeah what a remarkable woman your mummy is that she was able to do that yeah but
also to deal with her own terrible grief she's going through that as well and it was so public
you mentioned there your beautiful dad who I think all of us feel like we had a relationship
with him but what kind of relationship do you still have with him now and what I mean by that
is you know I've got some friends whose dads have passed and and they still talk to their dads yeah
yeah or they have certain rituals is there things that you do I know exactly what you mean and dad
is still very much part of my life he really is when you come into Australia Zoo which I know I
know you've been and you see him everywhere I mean he's still playing on the screens there's
still his image and his voice is still everywhere and so for me I have had my entire life captured
on camera so I can always just look back at old footage relive those memories which is really
important for me and I feel like every time I talk to someone and they share a story about dad
whether that's people who knew him really well or even just people on the street who will say
oh I grew up watching your dad or I met him once here or there or I get this little fraction
little piece of his essence back and I carry that with me every day especially when I was little I
just thought gosh I mean he's just a superhero figure I mean he's the person that I want to
live my life to that example you know if I'm half the man that he was I will die happy but you know
as you get older you realize you're forging your own path no one will ever be dad ever he was a
superhero by every sense of the word he was a superhero and I just hope that I can make him
proud to keep his message that he really did live and die for alive you know I think that's very
important that's what he more than anything would have wanted is that we as a family can be this
tight-knit group keeping all that work alive and keeping that legacy going
can I tell you something interesting this is probably the most powerful thing that
people will come up to me and it's it's a very emotional thing and people will say
I grew up without a father figure a lot of time you know people will say whether that's through
death whether you know whatever circumstance it is people say I grew up without a father figure
and your dad Robert was was a father figure to me what an amazing thing what an amazing thing
what an incredible person that he had such such an energy a powerful energy he was like a father
figure for an entire generation that is such a beautiful thing and it makes me emotional even
now I lucked out I really lucked out big time and he was your dad and he shared that with everyone
he was just the most devoted dad in the world really like hold your hand but is there a part
of you though that sometimes thinks he was my dad and I don't want to share him see it's a funny
thing I never really thought about that because dad was and is just incredibly devoted I mean and
to our family the thing he was most passionate about more than anything else was family and so
he was always there I mean 100 percent of the time the most incredible dedicated father and that
is such a beautiful thing I feel so lucky that I had that not everyone gets that I feel very lucky
that I had that especially in my you know in the short time I got to spend with him I'm just very
lucky that I have so many memories but I think it's beautiful I think it's wonderful how many
people were affected by his message by his energy by the way he lived his life I think that's just
a wonderful thing so honestly I see it as a really incredible thing and the fact that I get to keep
his message going you know when people still talk about how much he meant to them I see that not
really as sharing him with other people but in seeing that his message and what he would have
cared about is still alive and people still appreciate that because the world's going through
a really tough time even more so than when he was alive and he knew that he knew the world was on a
downhill spiral we needed to do something to protect our environment we need a universal
figure that everyone can get behind to really spark change and so knowing that that is still alive
it's just awesome love it and also too you're doing it in your way yes so you're very much
your own man and doing it as part of your generation that's it that's it yeah because
we're at an interesting time where the mediums change the challenges that we have to tackle
really are changing very quickly it's a changing landscape what was the crocodile hunter you know
back in the day the tv series now that's tiktok that's social media how weird is that and you're
going off on tiktok and social media you had that dear little tortoise oh recently how cute
that little baby isn't that special oh and that they feel their senses you can touch their
oh shell i just thought and they feel through their shell in that while but see that's what
social media should be have a look at this cute little tortoise that's what we need we need some
positivity in the world so i try to wield my platform for good i feel very very lucky very
privileged i was kind of born with a platform and i don't take it for granted i want to be very
positive and and actually get a good authentic message out there to people so it's a fun platform
social media is weird it really is wacky but you know i've got my little positive corner of just
you know animals and fun and i'll just keep it like that which then leads me to i mean your whole new
exciting chapter on i'm a celebrity how's this hey wow i mean how on earth did that come about
crazy i mean well i was actually on the show when i was i think i was 10 or 11
really young just a little guest appearance we were in africa in the area we have a lot of
conservation programs that we have near where i'm a celeb shoots and so we travel through there a
lot and they invited us on we just you know did a little day's shoot there and it was really fun
to see the camp you know i'm a little kid just looking around seeing julia and seeing this
amazing production you know 500 people there i'm thinking wow this is incredible and then almost
a decade later i'm hosting it what a surreal experience and such a massive honor and it feels
like you know i get to stay true to myself and i'm pushing my legacy and my my message and all of
that great stuff but it's in a completely different direction something so different so new and that
is what's the spice of life for me is just trying something completely different well get out of
your comfort zone sometimes so are you nervous does it make you nervous oh you know everything
in life if it makes you a little bit nervous if it gives you an adrenaline rush it's probably the
right way to go you know like if it makes you scared probably not but if it makes you nervous
if it makes you excited if lights are firing your belly if you got the butterflies you know that
you're in on the right track and so everything i hit i use that adrenaline to my advantage and
this is one of those times you know i'm i'm used to feeding crocs i'm used to all the craziness
of filming and being behind the camera and all of that but hosting a show like this it's so
different and i just love taking on something like that what do you reckon would you ever do it oh
no see i'm out here recruiting for the next it's pretty wild oh they have asked me i mean i've been
lucky enough to have been asked to do it a number of times oh wow yeah but i said no because of
snakes i'm terrified that's okay that's all right and also the other thing too pd my husband has
said to me if you do that i will divorce you so okay that's enough of a reason because i think too
i'm a little bit of an oversharer and so he was fair enough a bit nervous when i get into that
situation where i'm hungry and tired of not having chocolate about what i might share exactly even
more gone so so that's why for me it's it's not a thing was there though a part of you yeah when
you were offered it that you thought oh i don't know if i want to do this did you have to be
convinced well i'll tell you what doing the show itself it was a no-brainer i was actually a fan of
the show and still am i mean i i watched it every season absolutely love it it's a fun show it's a
show that you can kind of just sit back relax and just and watch with the family with the fam it's
great you know it's the kind of tv you're yelling at the tv well that's what you're looking for
so i went now no-brainer i want to do it but there was one thing right there was one condition
there was one thing and the most important thing that i said to do this is one thing we got to
change with the show i didn't know how everyone was going to react but mate to channel 10's credit to
i'm a celebrity's credit it was i mean immediately they went we're on board i said on the show we
can't eat wildlife i want to come on here i want to celebrate our giraffes our rhinos our gazelle
all of that i don't want to eat them we can you can eat whatever wacky stuff you want eat the
fish eyeballs i don't care eat the cows whatever i don't care but the giraffe the gazelle leave
that alone because i want to talk about protecting the living animal that's what i'm all about
and instantly they went we're on board here's a new chapter for the show we're going to really
celebrate conservation and that was one of the biggest achievements and all credit to the amazing
i'm a celeb team i feel so proud to be joining a crew to be joining a show that's really keen on
showing the beauty of wildlife even if our celebrities are going to be terrified by such
wildlife that's okay maybe i'll convince one person to love snakes by the end of it
well exactly and you might you might i want to talk more about your family yeah and how tight
you are as a family aren't they aren't they the best i like them but do you ever fight do you ever
have arguments surely you must we do we yes about what and it's the most boring stuff ever
oh my gosh we argue about the most vanilla subjects like we'll literally be arguing about
like the morphology of some animal or prehistoric dinosaur or something but the last argument that
my sister and i can we just rewind that's what you argue about that's that is our family bickering
the last argument i had with my sister was she was adamant that the blue whale is the largest
vertebrate animal to ever exist on the planet and i said well no technically you know there's people
reckon like there's these fossil records of like this massive dinosaur argentinosaurus that used to
used to roam the earth what's your podcast viewership just went right down didn't they
boring stuff right and we were in this heated discussion like no you're wrong no no we're
looking up articles and and this was the argument and mum just walks in and she goes
really this is what you're arguing about you know i was a teenager at that point she's like really
this is what teenagers argue about in this household it was very funny so it must have been quite a
relief though for your mum because often teenagers are not going to be having those sorts of arguments
so it's nice we've always been we deal with dramatic things we live a pretty tumultuous
crazy life and in what way tumultuous and crazy would you say the stuff that we deal with you know
running a business rescuing animals owning a business at the best of times is absolutely
crazy going through the trials and tribulations the ups and downs of the covid times through
loss through you know triumphs and defeat from an environmental perspective all this sort of stuff
i mean we're out here trying to you know lead the charge with worldwide environmental protection at
a time when our world is basically hitting the fan you know what i mean we are really
not doing too well but we're out there trying to say hang on there's still hope we can conserve
natural spaces we can conserve wildlife we can tackle climate change we can do all this so it's
a pretty big thing and our lives are very very hectic and very crazy plus we've got a toddler
that's now you know bindi's little kid which is awesome and crazy but as a family the family
dynamic is very non-dramatic we as a family are just tight knit we genuinely get along really
well bindi's always been one of my best mates you know like we've always gotten along so well
and it's just this great uplifting atmosphere which i'm so happy you know we're just this
united front and anything we hit we just do together as a team my mum's coming with me to
africa oh that was what i wanted to ask yeah it's it's a good team that we've got here so
we face crazy things but the household's pretty boring but all but what a credit to your beautiful
mum though that she's been able to do that it's i reckon being a mum is one of the toughest things
you can do yes let alone with what she's had to endure and with the spotlight yeah absolutely i
mean the the strength that requires what do you love about your mum oh i think the thing that i
love most about her is that she she's like an onion there's so many of these layers to it like
there's so many dimensions to that lady holy moly the thing that i think is amazing is that she is
one of the most in tune determined passionate individuals when it comes to philanthropy
to business to cultivating this incredible workforce that she has she is just sharp as
attack and then at the same time the most genuine kind caring individual to have both that is rare
and that is amazing to be respected on the battlefield of conservation and business and
also the most caring human being you'll ever meet you know that is how i hope to live my life with
compassion but with real steadfast conviction and yes she is incredible with that so i yeah i mean
i absolutely in awe in awe i know terry's out there listening and oh is she yes oh there you go and
love you mum that must be i think for any mum to hear your child talk in that way about you
you know that you've done your job oh i've got the best mum and the best family and seeing my
sister become a mum oh also made me realise geez mothers are a strong bunch oh yeah holy
yeah we rule the world and what i want to finish up on it's actually a quote from your mum yeah
where she said advice for you to follow your true north whatever your path is yes and i wonder
where that path is for you where do you see yourself going next well i mean right now it's
i'm a celebrity kept me out of here how crazy is that who would have thought it yeah it's very true
when you stick to your guns when you stick to what you know is right your message your true north
which i've got it's just inbuilt i know where i want to get to i know my true north i want to be
a voice for positive change on the planet i know the way i get there and the way i continue my
message my platform and whatnot with my family there will be hundreds of different paths different
avenues that i take in my life but my true north will always be to hopefully as my dad did as my
mum does as my family have done is is to continue a legacy while creating my own a legacy of a
positivity of protecting our natural world and holding close what is most important which is
family oh robert we really went that was a deep conversation we really just went for it there
oh that was amazing oh you are divine and i tell you what the world is in safe hands with someone
as special as you so thank you for always using your voice and inspiring this whole new generation
thank you to do what they can so thank you so and can i say likewise yeah the amount of respect
that we have and have had for you over the years i mean you just i feel like in a way we're sort
of doing the same thing where we're spreading a message we're able to reach people and hopefully
make the world a better place through that and so much respect and admiration for what you're doing
and and it's a a real pleasure and a real honor to get to talk to you so thank you very much
you are such a darling thank you for such a great chat wonderful thank you thanks really fun really
good you're amazing isn't robert irwin the most remarkable young man i am pitching myself and
even more so because terry was here too i'm fan girling over terry as is my producer nick
and i'm thinking about my daughters who absolutely fangirl over robert wow what a duo what a family
and what a highlight for me to be able to have that conversation with robert here in the podcasting
studio and of course you can catch robert co-hosting the 10th season of i'm a celebrity get
me out of here premiering this sunday at 7 30 on 10 and 10 play now we have a lot of extraordinary
guests for you this year on the jessro big talk show podcast and it would mean so much to me
if you would subscribe to the show and you know why because it's free and it means all of these
fabulous conversations will be quicker and easier for you to access in the app so you'll never ever
have to go searching for an episode and if there's someone in your life who you think will really
love this chat with robert why not share it with them all you need to do is to tap the three dots
on your screen and pass it on and i think if robert struck a chord with you you're going
to really love my chat with grand denier and i i just my shoulders just relaxed i took a deep breath
and excuse me it was uh yeah i uh i did it i made it so it was yeah it was cool it was nice
it represented the end of an exhausted act that i was tired of playing and i didn't have to play
it anymore because the first time in my life i felt like i was enough the jessro big talk show
is hosted by me jessro executive producer nick mcleua she's a wonderful leopard lady audio imager
nat marshall supervising producer sam cavernard until next time remember to live big life is just
too crazy and glorious to waste time on the stuff that doesn't matter
as our guests open up in ways they haven't before