🐊 EXCLUSIVE CHAT: Robert Irwin

Our good friend Robert Irwin joins Jonesy & Amanda for an awesome chat!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
My Heart podcasts here, more Gold one on one point
seven podcasts.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Playlists and listen live on the Free iHeart Appy and
Amanda jam Nation.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Look, it's been a big year so far for Robert Irwin,
from bearing it all for Bonds to shimming his way
onto the dance floor for the US version of Dancing
with the Stars, which kicks off in September. But he's
back on home soil, and this time he's behind the
lens to launch the Crikey Photography Competition. Robert irl Hello.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
Hey guys, it's so good to see you. It's good
to chat. How have you been pretty good?

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Your life has just exponentially exploded. And I was reading
the other day that people are seeing you in a
very different way, and particularly in the States since you're
under shoot. And yeah, and you're too scared to look
at your DMS right now.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
That is true.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah, I have been very light on the dms currently.
But you know, it's funny. I just took my niece
to disney Land a couple of days ago with the family,
and it was a it was a different experience. You know.
I used to be able to walk around and I
can't do that anymore. And it's and it's a different
it's a different thing, and I've always sort of grown

(01:22):
up being in the public eye, but this is definitely
kind of a different level. But you know, it can
be challenging to navigate. But I think for me, I
am just so happy that there's more people than ever
that are listening to my message, which is wildlife conservation.
I am through and through an animal and conservation advocate,

(01:43):
and our world needs animal advocates more than ever before.
Our environment needs people to stand up. And you know,
I truly mean it when I say I absolutely love
any opportunity to talk to you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
You're the absolute best of the best, and we think the.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
World that you're saving the endangered one ab at a time.
And what let's talk about those abs. For a lot
of people would say there was a bit of highlighter
on there, Rob, Is that true as it was a little.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Bit of nun doing?

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Is that you no?

Speaker 3 (02:11):
I know, I work too dang hard to have any
sort of photos and I believe that I believe.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
That no photoshop involved go airbrushing definitely not.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Are you satisfied with that answer, Amanda? That was a
question from Amanda. She said, just this just ask that question.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
Actually, I was interested.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
You just said before, you're happy to highlight the animals.
It was obviously a decision that you would pose with
a snake and with spiders and not cute, cuddly animals
that people associate with the straighter obviously deliberate choice to
say we support all wildlife.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
That is exactly why I did it. I mean, that's
exactly why I did it. I love my crocodiles, I
love my spiders, I love my snakes. To me, the
crocodile is as much an Australian icon as the kangaroo,
one hundred percent. You can't go and give them a cuddle,
but it doesn't mean they're not still awesome. So I
really wanted to exemplify that. And when Bond said, hey,

(03:04):
we want you to do this this shoot with us,
I was like, oh, that's that's amazing and such an
iconic Ossie staple. But I went, mate, I don't really
get my gear off, that's not really what I do.
And they went no, no, no, you'll be covered in animals,
You'll be right, and I'm like, okay, sign me up,
let's go. So it was it was cooling and now
you know, I was just in the States and the
amount of people that are talking about the animals as

(03:27):
part of that campaign. That was the takeaway was the animals,
And that's what I wanted to achieve.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
I want to get.

Speaker 4 (03:33):
Wildlife into people's hearts, into people's living rooms, just like
my dad did. You know, in a bit of a
different way. There was no way in the world he
was going to do that. You know, he was going
to keep a good solid layer of parking on fair enough,
but you know what, I was ready to just go
for it there at all.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
And now on the dance floor, the DF.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
You've got DF.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
So Bindy, you were twelve when Bindy went on it
all those years ago.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
Can you beat Bindy?

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Can you go further than Bindy? Well, she won won,
so you've got to double beat Bindy.

Speaker 4 (04:08):
To me, there is there's no there's no competition. How
could there be. You'll never top You'll never top that.
I mean, I come into this with the sense that
I want to bring you know, that that Irwin energy
that she brought. I want to bring it back into
the ballroom. And that's what I'm excited for.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
And probably best not to mention ballroom to stuffter you're underpants.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
That's true.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
Let's move to the Crikee photography competition. Are you judging?
What's your role here?

Speaker 4 (04:36):
I am so so I I and our wonderful, wonderful
team here in Australia's have kind of been the masterminds
behind really something. It's become quite a passion project and
so I've always loved it. Most of my best mates
are photographers and so we wanted to create something for
the world.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
We get thousands of entries.

Speaker 4 (04:56):
Every corner of the world, every age that are putting
in their best photos and using that to spread a
conservation message because you know, it's part of our Criykee magazine.
So you get to make the cover of krike Magas
which goes out to you know, a bunch of different countries,
thousands and thousands of people, and there's you know, there's
a bunch of cool prizes as well. But it's a
really good way to spread that message.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
And I'm a.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
Harsh judge, you know, I'm looking, I'm looking for excellence
and I'm I so far have not been disappointed.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
It is really wonderful to see the caliber of.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Entries and no doubt you would have got some odd
photos coming in on your DMS, i'd imagine, but they
wouldn't be. They're not going to make the country for
any publication that doesn't go.

Speaker 3 (05:37):
In a brown paper bag. Yeah, those are not the applications.

Speaker 4 (05:40):
No, no, you have to enter your photos via the
Australia Zoo website, not Robert Owen's direct messages.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yes, Robert, it's always great to talk to you. For
details and to ender the Cranky Photography competition. Head to
Australia Zoo dot com dot au. Say hi to your
mom and you see this and the rest of the
Klan thank you for joining.

Speaker 4 (05:58):
Us to love to you, Robert, Hey, love you guys,
good on, great to chat

Speaker 1 (06:02):
You go well bye bye