Four-year old Bob Irwin, son of the late Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin, was shown filming scenes for a possible TV pilot on Australian news show 60 Minutes. Little Bob was featured wrestling a pint-sized crocodile, handling various reptiles and playing up for the cameras. His mother, Terri Irwin, proudly boasts “He’s a little Steve clone.” Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray in a freak accident while filming a wildlife show for Discovery.
“I’m mister independence,” Bob says, refusing help from celebrity sister Bindi, 10 – who already has her own wildlife show on the Discovery Kids channel – to climb a tree.
[From New York Post]
And you thought Lynne Spears pushed her kids into show business early.
After Steve Irwins tragic death two years ago, Terri seems to be clinging to TV celebrity, first through her then 8-year old daughter, who has successfully become a brand all her own at the ripe old age of 10, and now through her barely speaking full sentences son, Bob. I’m not sure if I think this is crappy or just plain sad. Either Terri is the stage mom from hell, living vicariously through her kids, or she just can’t let go of that part of her life with Steve.
Hearing her description of a typical morning in the Irwin household make me think it might be the latter.
Terri Irwin insists Bob and Bindi have normal childhoods and doesn’t believe it’s unusual that the family watches a Steve Irwin DVD each morning.
“It’s comforting and familiar,” she says. “It’s nice while we’re having breakfast to hear Steve’s voice in the background. It’s special.”
[From New York Post]
Bindi appears to be a well-adjusted kid with an adultlike dedication to the subject of her show, but there’s a pretty generous gap in marketability between a 10-year old and a 4-year old. I’m hoping someone steps in and suggests that it might just be a bit premature to throw this kid in front of the cameras.
Bindi, Bob and Terri Irwin are shown promoting Bindi’s line of dolls at FAO Schwartz on 2/18/08. Credit: MLM/Fame Pictures
I think Bob’s a little cutie, the only attractive person in the family. But definitely Mom is trying to make him into a mini-Steve, and the kid’s too young to object. Talk about Lynn Spears!
Steve Irwin and Heath Ledger’s deaths are still like i can’t believe it happened.With my daughter whenever we see Bindi or a HL movie we just can’t believe they died.I adore Bindi’s show.Her family hasbeen involved with animals forever.Bindi’s grandparents as well.Hopefully they will know what’s best for these 2 adorable children.
‘….premature to throw this kid in front of the cameras’.I agree with that statement.
The kids are getting big, they look happy in those photos, their Father would be proud. 😀
The thing with Bindi worries me though, because she’s being used as a brand for Steve’s company, even though she’s only ten.
This is totally sick, she’s pimping out her kids…….they are both true hollywood stories in the making….she really needst to get a grip and take her kids out of the spotlight and let them have a childhood and not a career!
The thing that creeped me out about Steve’s death was that he always claimed to be “in control” of every situation, and always knew what an animal was going to do.
Well, his death showed that he DIDN’T know how an animal would behave at any particular moment. Which makes his stunt of carry the baby next to a crocodile all the more horrifying. He claimed (at the time) that he knew what he was doing, but his death showed that animals can always be dangerous. In hindsight, his stunt with the baby makes me sick.
Watching Dad on DVD every morning? A reminder every day that he’s gone. Is that healthy for the children? I lost my Dad at 30 & sometimes it’s still hard to see his picture.
Bindi seems incredibly mature for her age, I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.
Just how much of themselves are these two children allowed to be? It’s like a complete indoctrination in Steve Irwin rather than celebrating the memory of their father.
Let’s be honest, I can understand Terri wanting to keep his memory alive for them (via Australia Zoo), but the whole attaching the kids to a brand thing is really leaving a bad taste.
Yeah, the infant versus the killer croc routine definitely crossed the line. As for Terri, I always found it unsettling that she appeared on every talk show known to man after Steve’s death. While I understand he was a celebrity, she just seemed a little too eager to put her grief on public display.
Sad. It’s like Terri can’t let go. They were such a great couple. I was so sad when he died. I felt terrible for her and the kids.
I also think Steve was irresponsible with the baby/crocodile thing. I loved his show but thought he was a bit “off” sometimes. Terri too. They shared that I think.
Here is an interesting article about Steve’s dad quitting the zoo and his feud with Terri.
http://teamsugar.com/group/677894/blog/1088023
More interesting reading from someone who worked with Steve. Sounds like he was routinely irresponsible —-
I met Steve Irwin and Terri Irwin on the set of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I was hired to work with the company that provided the animals for his appearance.
The reason our team was working on the set was because many other trainers were no longer willing to work with Steve Irwin. The general consensus was that he puts animals and the humans involved in the filming at too much risk.
In our segment of the Tonight Show, Steve Irwin was give specific directives to not take any risks with Jay Leno. (We had the anti-venin on hand, but prefered not to take life threatening risks.) Ignoring instructions, Steve Irwin dared Jay Leno to touch the Gaboon Viper (one of the most venomous snakes in the world).
Steve Irwin’s activities with Robert Irwin in the crocodile pen were disappointing. I don’t believed Steve Irwin used his best judgment in this case, but I also don’t believe he thought it was a risk.
Steve Irwin did not set the best example in showing the photo of Bob Irwin laying on top of a large constrictor. Professional handlers do not encourage such exhibitions since large snakes can coil around the neck of an adult or can crush and suffocate young children if they are not monitored.
Edited by Moderator to remove large portions of text. Please provide a link and try to keep copied and pasted text to a minimum.
For the full article….sorry for the long message!
http://www.arkanimals.com/dlg/steveirwin.htm
This woman is a real fame whore. I don’t think she ever puts her children’s needs first. Social Services should be watching her.
Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin’s 4-year-old son bitten by boa constrictor
http://teamsugar.com/group/677894/blog/1054736
“He picked one of them up and it bit him on the finger, and he was so proud to have copped his first hit,” Irwin’s widow, Terri, said Monday at FAO Schwarz, where she and her two kids promoted a new line of toys.
“He said, ‘I hope it wasn’t venomous,’ so I assured Robert I wouldn’t actually let him play with venomous snakes,” she added.
Irwin said 9-year-old daughter, Bindi, was first bitten by a snake when she was 18 months old.
Irwin girl’s wild life stirs controversy
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1294667.ece
That poor little girl has been pushed so hard since her dad died. Have you ever noticed that she always has deep bags under her eyes. She looks like she never sleeps.
I hope someone less concerned about their cash value is there for them…
……and you guys have th enerve to talk abotu J-Lo.
“……and you guys have th enerve to talk abotu J-Lo.”
Nerve? It’s a website called “celebitchy.” They post stories about celebrities and we bitch about them. I don’t see how that takes a lot of nerve. We are just following protocol.
I remember the day I saw the front page of People, with the death of Steve Irwin on the cover; I was shocked, crying, and had a panic attack right in the middle of the store. He was truly a hero to me; one night, a few years before his death, I called my Mom (she was in MS) and I was in Louisiana, and my baby brother was in Austin TX; We were ALL watching the same show–Steve Irwin’s show! Even though we all had satellite TV. What are the odds of that happening?!
That said, I have often worried about Bindi’s deep circles under her eyes, and I have been guilty of feeling less than nice towards Terri–especially after Steve’s dad left the zoo after ALL the years he lived there. Terri, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so you need to slow down and let your children BE children. If that’s still possible! 👿 🙄
Just to clarify a point, bags under people’s eyes, including children’s, are not caused by lack of sleep, diet or a range of other falsely attributed reasons. They are often hereditary, and caused by a pooling of blood in that area which looks (understandably enough) like dark circles.
My mum has them, I have them, my daughter has them. Smoking can make them worse as it interferes with circulation.
Compare these children to someone like Denise Richards’ two, there is NO comparison. I lived in Australia for 5 years and Terri and Steve Irwin are regarded as good parents who love their children. Unconventional upbringing? Yes. Unsuitable? No.
The kids (as someone pointed out) look happy and really well. Growing up in Queensland at a wildlife park would be a wonderful experience. Exposure to all kinds of different people and experiences will give you confident, happy children. Terri has suffered a terrible loss and has coped immensely well. How do you think you would do if you were in her shoes?
I don’t get it. I mean, the whole wildlife thing is part of them and they want to follow on after their dad but..why is there a need for it to be filmed? Can they not just go and continue with life at the zoo, working for a good cause without Bindi presenting it all? I once saw a show she did called something like “My Dad’s 50 Best Moments” or something where she introduced different clips from past shows. It was painful to watch it was so forced looking and awkward. They had her grinning and giving thumbs up before each clip. She also sounded so over enthusiastic and loud, it was just so…staged?
Steve was considered overenthusiastic and loud, too.
My husband and my son really loved Steve Irwin. They were really saddened by his death. However, I felt concern with Steve and Terri once they had Bindi, then Bob. I can’t say much, I don’t know them, but I wish the children were not being pushed so much into the limelight.
I hope the children are healthy and as happy as possible. I wish them the best in life.
It appeared “on tv” that Bendi is an Natural like her father..The lil boy just didn’t seem to take to the animals as Bendi did when she was even younger. It is as if the boy takes after the mother & maybe doesn’t have the “instinct” nor a natural way with animals.
Stingrays come in all sizes, just sayin’.
i think its the latter as well. is it just me or do Bindi & Bob look exactly alike?
I feel very badly for Terri. I think she just cannot let go. I don’t think so much that she’s a fame whore, as some have suggested. Rather, I think that she is trying so hard to accomplish the things that Steve wanted to do in his lifetime as some sort of way of staying connected to him.
I agree that she is making some mistakes with the kids, but I honestly think it is more about trying to keep Steve alive in the public consciousness than it is in trying to pimp out the kids for fame/money.
If you read the book that she wrote about her life with Steve, you will see that it’s clear that they were completely and utterly devoted to each other and the kids. I think his death really messed with her head and that she has not recovered yet. She could probably do with some therapy to help her get past her grief. Then perhaps she can see clearly and make better choices for her kids.
I don’t care that she has them on TV, etc…but I think she is way overboard and needs to cut it way back and let them have more of a life that doesn’t involve nonstop reminders of their deceased father.
@Aurelia: She had her own wildlife preserve in the US before she ever met Steve. She has always been involved with animals and animal rescues, so she certainly has a very strong affinity for animals. What she lacks is the natural charisma that Steve had. She just doesn’t translate well on camera.
“I think Bob’s a little cutie, the only attractive person in the family.”
totally agree. bindi’s so not cute and to think she’s still a child, the time when cuteness should be very much visible…lolz
but anyway, they’re still children… they should be given as much free environment to be kids without any camera crew documenting their lives… so disappointed that terri would pimp her children this much….
sure, they are promoting environmental awareness but with the rate terri’s pimping her children, dude, that’s already famewh*ring…
😆
It’s starting to creep me out how much Mom is pushing Bindi into the dangerous wild animals business! I can understand wanting to honor Steve’s memory, but hello– he got killed on the job. Why not let Bindi decide what she wants to be when she’s older? Irwin was one of a kind but his job died with him, or should have. His daughter does not need to fill the gap left behind and perform like a little show pony. The public doesn’t need another Steve Irwin. Maybe Angie and Brad could adopt little Bindi and she could work at Zahara’s African clinic instead. It might be safer.
you know you really shouldn’t say things like that about the irwins because it was so hard them when steve died and it would be more comforting for bindi and bob to be hearing their dad’s voice everyday rather then forget what it sounded like. Snd just think about it if you were terri you wouldn’t want people always talking about you and saying things about bindi and bob, they’re her children show some respect! the Irwins are humans and they have feelings just like everybody. Bindi wanted her own tv show because just like her dad he had made a ovie and lots of documentarys it’s no suprise because she grew up from when she was a baby infront of the cameras. the heathies environment for bindi and bob to live in is the environment they chose and feel most comfortable in which just happens to be the zoo they are living in and you shouln’t critisise that because it’s not your life it’s theirs so if you don’t have anything nice to say about the Irwins don’t say anything at all just keep it to yourself. bindi and bob are doing fine in their life the only thing that has changed is that they are a little more down because steve died and there is nothing wrong with that. bindi has her own tv show because she went to her mum and dad and told them she wanted her own tv show and so what if not everybody can but if bindi didn’t want her show anymore she would have said so but she wanted to get the message out because she loves animals just like other people might like sports or computers or something like that so just think next time you’re going to say something you should keep to yourself about the Irwins or anybody.
bindi already said about a million times that she wanted to follow in her dads footsteps so please get that through your head terri lets her kids do ehat they want that’s why they get along with their mum so well. try to understand that they aren’t in your life and if you don’t like what they are doing then don’t worry about them and focus on something or someone you are interested in. incase you didn’t know one day steve said he wanted to die around wildlife, with wildlife and he did so get over the fact that you think that he didn’t know what he was doing. if he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to wrestle crocs for research, atleast they aren’t like the japanese whom hunt whaes theirwins protect them and they are truthful about it. and lay off about terri being a terrible mum. she’s a fine mum, leave her alone, lots of parents spoil their children to the limit so just leave them be. i feel so sorry for them.
i feel terribly sorry for the Irwin Family. incase you selfish people didn’t already know Steve died just under 4 months before Robert turned 3 and just a week and a half after Bindi turned 8. you people disregard terri so much did you know that terri’s birthday is only 4 days before bindi’s. so steve’s death was sort of the worst birthday present for Terri, Bindi and Bob!
i totally agree with ayla, maddi and liliana, they deserve respect just like everybody else in the world does so take some time to thin about what you are saying because it can get to their head and get them down maybe for the rest of their life.
just thought i might et you know that bindi isn’t forced into anything because somebody said something about that, i met her and terri and robert at Australia zoo last year and Bindi is a really Bubbly girl, she is really a lovely girl and Terri is really nice and you can tell that she is a great mom have you heard the saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” and you know that is what you seem to be doing which is really selfish and you know some of you think that terri can just drag her kids out of the spotlight but when you think about she can’t really because they’re known all around the world so nobody would forget them
Steve n Terri loved animals and raised thier children right up in the middle of it all. Instead of being insecure,spoiled all about myself brats like most kids are today… They are secure, kind, compassionate children who ENJOY their life and work as animal conservationAlists . They attend school and have “normal” childhoods , well as normal as you can when you live in a zoo. I don’t think the children are pushed into anything… But even if Terri did push some, I see it as her hinkin of their future. She is securing finances for them and building up a perverbial nest egg . I pretty sure she thinks about “what if something happened to me, given the fact Steve died in an accident”
I think Terri has always been passionate about animals, and so was Steve….it’s only natural that the kids would follow in their footsteps. Also the DVD thing is more than likely to help bindi still feel like a part of him is still there. and bob wasn’t likely to truly remember him otherwise. I will say though I think Terri should allow herself to love again. No one can take Steve’s place but she can love again and move on if she let herself. Steve would want her to move on and be happy.