Little-Known Details About Bindi Irwin
Bindi Irwin may not be the celeb you initially think of when it comes to changing the world. Instead, you might picture climate activist Greta Thunberg or Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. Certainly those two women have put in the work to leave planet Earth in a better state than how they found it, but as a wildlife conservationist, Irwin is on par with these extraordinary change-makers.
As the eldest child of the late Crocodile Hunter, Irwin has picked up her father's mantle and run with it, ensuring that his legacy of wildlife protection and celebration lives on. In addition to having been recognized by Time magazine on the "100 Next" list, she's also discussed conservation issues with Prince Charles of the British royal family, and was even immortalized by Barbie in the "Shero" collection, according to the Australia Zoo website.
What else is there to know about Irwin aside from her accolades and accomplishments? As it turns out, a lot. Here are some little-known details about the conservationist.
"The cameras were rolling" during Bindi Irwin's birth
Bindi Irwin is no stranger to being on television. In addition to starring on Animal Planet's Crikey! It's the Irwins, she's also appeared on the network's other shows, starred in several films and shorts, and appeared on a number of talk shows, according to her IMDb profile. She even won Dancing with the Stars in 2015, as noted by The Guardian.
Even Irwin's grand entrance into the world was caught on tape, which couldn't have been all that comfortable for her mother, Terri Iwrin. "The cameras were rolling when my beautiful mum gave birth to me," she revealed in an interview with New Idea. "My poor mum!"
It's not that this was a planned event, however. As it turns out, the fact that Irwin's birth was filmed was a bit of a coincidence. "Dad was filming some crocodiles when suddenly Mum went into labor," she continued. "So Dad just invited the entire film crew to come and capture the moment." As the publication mused, Irwin was quite literally born into the spotlight.
Bindi Irwin may always grieve the loss of her father
Steve Irwin passed away on September 4, 2006, when Bindi Irwin was only eight years old. But no matter how much time passes, the pain is still as fresh as ever for his daughter, who found herself grieving heavily on an unexpected occasion. "It was just an ordinary day and we were playing the video where we petition against harvesting of crocodile eggs," she recalled in an interview with Stellar (via News.com.au) in July 2019. "There's old footage of Dad with the crocodiles and, even though I've seen the video maybe 50 times, that day I started crying."
She continued, saying, "Some days you feel the grief more than others." And it's in those small and intimate interactions that Irwin finds herself missing her father the most. "What gets to me are those moments when I'd love him to be here to share what we're doing," she added. "I'll think: 'I wish Dad was here for this.' But he's just not there."
Bindi Irwin believes feminism is important
In addition to caring deeply about wildlife conservation and environmental protections, Bindi Irwin also wants the best for her fellow human beings, especially women. That's why she's using her platform to promote a feminist message to uplift girls and women. "As I get older I'm more and more passionate about inspiring young women to stand up in roles which were traditionally more male dominated — such as working with reptiles," she shared in a chat with Stellar (via News.com.au). Girls can like crocodiles, after all!
That's not to say that Irwin finds it easy to be vocal about her passion. She's far too realistic to fall prey to that idea, especially in such a tumultuous social climate. "It can be kinda scary standing up for what you believe in, especially with social media because the world is extremely critical," she continued. "But we have to find the strength to stay true to what we believe in and forge ahead." Thankfully, though, Irwin has her mother Terri to look up to. "My mum is Wonder Woman," Irwin told the publication. "She's like Sarah Connor in The Terminator."
Bindi Irwin's wedding did not go as planned
If you're not familiar with Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell's love story, you should be; it's super romantic and incredibly sweet. Naturally, the couple planned a sweet and romantic wedding. But, despite their best-laid plans, their long-anticipated wedding had to be scrapped due the social distancing measures in place throughout much of the world in spring 2020.
"First and foremost, we wanted to ensure that everyone's health and safety was the priority, so whatever happens in life we just wanted to be happy," Irwin told Entertainment Tonight. "We made the decision not to have any guests at our wedding to make sure everyone was safe, and it was a really tough choice to make."
Although it may not have been the day they had in mind, Irwin and Powell's ceremony was still absolutely beautiful, according to a post on Irwin's Instagram page. The two were married in the gardens of the Australia Zoo with Irwin's family present. The honeymoon also took place at the zoo, where the couple lives and tends to a whole menagerie of animals. "You know, I would expect nothing less of an Irwin honeymoon," Irwin joked. That does sound pretty on brand!
Bindi Irwin has no desire to live in the suburbs
Bindi Irwin's job isn't for everyone. She works with all kinds of animals — from koalas to giant tortoises to kangaroos — at the Australia Zoo and most definitely gets her hands dirty. But as Irwin tells it, she simply couldn't imagine her life any other way. "I'm living the dream," she proclaimed in a chat with Stellar (via News.com.au). "How many young people start their day watching a giraffe being born and end the day bottle-feeding a joey kangaroo?" Well, she does have a point. That certainly gives her a breadth of experiences. And that's why Irwin wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
As the conservationist is extremely fulfilled working with all of her animal friends, she told the publication, "I don't know how I'd cope if I was living in suburbia with a goldfish. I care about the planet and my destiny is to make a difference." Our girl loves animals so much that she even gets lovey-dovey with giant spiders and huge pythons, showing just how committed she is to protecting wildlife.
Who are Bindi Irwin's beauty icons?
One thing that's readily apparent about Bindi Irwin is that she radiates a natural beauty. She has gorgeous hair and skin as well as a smile that lights up the room — and all without putting in much effort at all. That's not to say she's without a style icon, though. "I love Grace Kelly and her beauty and the way that she just moved," she gushed in an interview with 9Honey. "She was incredible and captured everyone's attention no matter what she did."
But when it comes to Irwin's ultimate beauty muse, her selection is someone who's much closer to her and who shares many of the traits that make her so stunning. "My mom is so amazing and effortlessly beautiful every single day," she continued. She really is — and always has been.
Wondering what gives Irwin her trademark glow? The star attributes it not to a strict skincare routine, but to her ambitions to make the world a better place. Can you possibly be any more wholesome than that?
Bindi Irwin holds a world record
It's abundantly clear that Bindi Irwin lives an extraordinary life. She's world-famous, for one. She also spends all day every day working with a diversity of wildlife, having encounters with animals some of us can only dream about. To top it off, Irwin makes regular appearances on the red carpet both in her native Australia and across the pond in the United States.
In addition to these incredible experiences, Irwin has also earned a Guinness World Record for being the "most-followed TV naturalist on Instagram," with over three million loyal fans, as of this writing. That's quite the platform to have and Irwin does a great job raising awareness and educating people with it.
But that's all in a day's work for Irwin, who's 100 percent committed to her work. "Being a Wildlife Warrior means to stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves," she told Guinness World Record. "It's remembering that conservation is not only about the cute and cuddly creatures, but also wildlife like crocodilians, snakes and sharks."
Bindi Irwin is scared of this creature
If you're one of Bindi Irwin's millions of Instagram followers, you know that the conservationist often poses with different animals at the Australia Zoo. It's not just the typically cute creatures, but animals ranging from snakes to sea turtles to, of course, crocodiles. You can't be an Irwin if you don't love them, right?
While Irwin isn't afraid of most animals — no matter how scary they might look to the rest of us — there is one creature that she finds nerve-wracking. "I've never been scared of saltwater crocodiles or snakes or spiders," she revealed in a chat with New Idea. "But I'm terribly afraid of wasps." Really, a little old wasp? But Irwin has a good reason for fearing those small, potentially stinging insects. "I think it's because I can't read them," she continued. "With a crocodile, you can tell when they're going to strike." Well, she can. The jury's still out on that for the rest of us.
Robert Irwin considers Bindi's style to be "vanilla"
Bindi and Robert Irwin are the children of Steve and Terri Irwin — and you can tell that just by looking at them. While the siblings are quite close to one another, they have just as many differences as they do similarities. For one, Bindi is the older sibling, which has allowed her to help raise Robert in Steve's absence. "I've watched him grow and change and become his own person," she shared in an interview with Stellar (via News.com.au). "He's so strong and science-minded, yet he's also quite fashionable."
Although Robert has an undeniable sartorial inclination, Bindi would not use the word "fashionable" to describe herself (even though she always looks amazing on the red carpet). "[Robert] wears linens and blue glasses and he's very fancy, whereas I walk into a shopping store place and I'm in plaid and boots," she continued. "When Chandler and I walk into a room, Robert says: 'Here come the vanillas.'"
This was the first time Bindi Irwin wore high heels
Working all day every day in a zoo environment, Bindi Irwin is all about being practical in her dress, even if that does make her "vanilla." So it's understandable that she's not running around in gowns and stilettos and instead reserves fancy couture for the red carpet. However, there's one accessory she hadn't even considered until she had the opportunity of a lifetime. "I had never worn high heels in my entire life until I got to Dancing with the Stars," she explained in an interview with 9Honey. "So I put my high heels on for the first time and fell flat on my face." Oops.
Looking back, Irwin thinks there's definitely one thing she should've done to be better prepared for the show. "So I think that if I could go back in time I would have made myself wear heels before I got onto the ballroom floor," she continued. Of course, no one could tell as she was total fire out there!
Bindi Irwin may seem outgoing, but she considers herself an introvert
From the looks of it, Bindi Irwin is nonstop. She cares for animals at the zoo, appears on television shows, participates in conservation activism, and even has her own conservation-friendly brands, according to the Australia Zoo website. But just because she has to be "on" all the time doesn't mean it's in her nature. "Everyone thinks I'm an extrovert because of what I do and where I live," she confessed to Stellar (via News.com.au). "But my favorite day would be quiet with no people, just animals." Well, maybe she'd let her husband and family be around.
Still, Irwin doesn't mind being around people all of the time, and even celebrates her birthday by giving tours to families at the zoo to mark the occasion. Kids even get free entry that day. "It's a great opportunity for large families with six kids to come and enjoy the animals," she added.
Bindi Irwin and her husband don't subscribe to traditional gender roles
Bindi Irwin's marriage to Chandler Powell may look traditional on the outside, but the couple bucks a few societal norms here and there. For one, Irwin can sometimes get so absorbed in her work that she doesn't have a ton of time for him. "At the moment I'm writing a book marking 50 years of Australia Zoo so I've barely said two words to Chandler over the last few weeks," she explained in a 2019 interview with Stellar (via News.com.au). "But through it all he just lets me work and subtly does little things for me." Aw, that is so sweet.
Rather than complain about her lack of free time, Powell steps up and does what he can to support his wife, even if it's not "manly" by traditional standards. "I'll be writing and suddenly there will be a cup of tea next to me, or he'll bring a blanket or set up a picnic outside so I can enjoy a break," she continued. "He does the laundry and the dishes and cleans the house." We are so here for this!
This is why Bindi Irwin kept her last name when she got married
When Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell finally got married after being together for years, it was a joyous occasion for their family. The wedding was memorable and special, despite the fact that it was crashed by paparazzi helicopters that scared the wildlife, as noted by Entertainment Tonight. But at the end of the day, the starry-eyed couple were finally pronounced husband and wife — which was all they ever wanted anyway.
Even though Irwin is now a married woman, she won't be changing her last name to Powell anytime soon — and there's a special reason why. "I've kept Bindi Irwin," the star confirmed to Entertainment Tonight. "I think that for me personally, after dad passed away it was really important for me to feel close to him, and having his last name means so much to me." Nothing but respect for that decision, Bindi!
Additionally, since Powell lives at the Australia Zoo, he's been absorbed by the entire crocodile-hunting family. "Chandler has become an Irwin now," she added.
Bindi Irwin always hoped to have a family of her own
With all that Bindi Irwin has already accomplished in her life, you might be wondering what's next for her. Given that she's a total family person, she's hoped of having children of her own. "Absolutely. One day it'd be special to have my own little wildlife warriors," she revealed in a 2019 interview with New Idea. "I think it's a way away right now, but if and when it does happen, I can guarantee you they'll have their own khaki." So we're sure she was ecstatic when she became pregnant. She announced her pregnancy on Instagram in August 2020.
Just as Irwin's father hoped that she would fall in love with wildlife and conservation, as he himself did, Irwin hopes to pass that passion onto her little ones. "We'll take over the world and make a difference together," she continued. The reality TV star added that she's super excited and has high hopes about how her future will unfold.