Bindi Irwin

Bindi Sue Powell (/bɪn.di/; born 24 July 1998) is an Australian conservationist, zookeeper, and television personality. The daughter of conservationists Steve and Terri Irwin, she serves as the chief executive officer of Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Queensland.

Irwin hosted the children's wildlife documentary series Bindi the Jungle Girl (2007–2008), for which she became the youngest performer to win a Daytime Emmy Award, winning for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming. She also won the twenty-first season of the American competition program Dancing with the Stars with Derek Hough. Alongside her mother and younger brother, Robert, Irwin starred in the Animal Planet series Crikey! It's the Irwins (2018–2022).

Early life

Bindi Sue Irwin was born on 24 July 1998 in Buderim, Queensland. Her father, Steve Irwin (1962–2006), was an Australian conservationist best known for his wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter (1996–2004). He owned and operated Australia Zoo with his wife Terri Irwin (née Raines), an American zoologist from Eugene, Oregon. Irwin's given name means "young girl" in Nyungar, an Aboriginal Australian language. She was jointly named after two of her father's favourite animals: Bindi, a saltwater crocodile, and Sui, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (1998–2004). Irwin has a younger brother, Robert, who is also a conservationist and television personality. The siblings are dual citizens of Australia and the United States, and are of English, Irish, and Swedish descent.

Irwin was eight years old when her father was killed by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary. She was homeschooled at Australia Zoo for the majority of her education, allowing flexibility for her wildlife and media commitments. In 2014, she enrolled at TAFE Queensland East Coast and completed a Certificate III in business and tourism. In June 2021, Irwin claimed that her paternal grandfather, the naturalist Bob Irwin, was psychologically abusive and shown no interest in spending time with her or her family. He denied her accusations through his biographer, Amanda French, not long after.

Career

2000–2006: Early appearances

Irwin had been an active television personality and conservationist since she was at least two years old. She made regular appearances in her parents' television programs, including The Crocodile Hunter and The Crocodile Hunter Diaries (2002–2006). She had a credited role in the children's music film The Wiggles: Wiggly Safari (2002).

Following her father's death, Irwin vowed to continue his conservation and television work. She delivered a eulogy at her father's public memorial service at Australia Zoo's Crocoseum, in front of a crowd of over 5,000 people and a worldwide television audience of over 300 million viewers. Apart from some typing assistance, Irwin wrote the eulogy herself. She received a standing ovation from the in-person attendees and praise from the media, who commended her poise and strength.

Irwin made her first public appearance since her father's memorial service at the 2006 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards in October. She released her first studio album and exercise video, Bindi Kid Fitness, on 27 November. The album featured appearances from her father and her accompanying band, The Crocmen. In TV Week's annual readers' poll, Irwin's eulogy was named the television moment of the year, receiving 43 percent of the total votes.

2007–2009: Bindi the Jungle Girl and music ventures

In January 2007, Irwin was appointed a tourism ambassador for Australia, attended a gala dinner with actors Russell Crowe and Naomi Watts, and appeared on several talk shows, including Larry King Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Late Show with David Letterman. She presented alongside comedian George Lopez and actor Tyler James Williams at the 2007 Kids' Choice Awards, and with actor Glenn Robbins at the Logie Awards of 2007.

Irwin made her television hosting debut with her wildlife program Bindi the Jungle Girl, which premiered on Discovery Kids on in June 2007. Her father played a central role in her series; he was filming for the series until his death, which prompted production to be temporarily put on hold. Irwin also presented an American television special about her father, My Daddy the Crocodile Hunter, for Animal Planet. She committed 10 percent of her wages from Bindi the Jungle Girl to her family's non-profit conservationist organisation, Wildlife Warriors.

In November 2007, Irwin released her debut single "Trouble in the Jungle" and appeared with her mother at the 81st annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She won Most Popular New Female Talent at the Logie Awards of 2008. At the 35th Daytime Emmy Awards, Irwin won Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series for Bindi the Jungle Girl. She became the youngest performer to win a Daytime Emmy, breaking Camryn Grimes' eight-year record for the soap drama The Young and the Restless. Irwin released her second studio album and exercise video, Bindi Kid Fitness Vol 2: Jungle Dance Party, on 11 October 2008. She started performing with a new accompanying group, The Jungle Girls, by 2009.

2010–2014: Expanded roles

Irwin earned a second nomination for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series at the 36th Daytime Emmy Awards. She made her feature film debut as Kirra, an orphan living with her grandfather in South Africa, in the American family film Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove (2010). One month later, Irwin launched a children's book series, titled Bindi Wildlife Adventures, through Penguin Books. She was named an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour initiative in March 2012. Her children's game show Bindi's Bootcamp, which put contestants through "adventure challenges" to educate and test their wildlife knowledge, premiered in July through ABC3.

Irwin starred alongside Matthew Lillard, Toby Wallace and John Waters in Brendan Maher's adventure fantasy film Return to Nim's Island (2013), the sequel to Nim's Island (2008). Irwin's performance received positive reviews from critics; Frank Hatherley of Screen International thought that she proved herself to be a "confident" and "appealing" actress. She additionally released her third studio album, Bindi and The Jungle Girls: African Dance Party, and had a minor role in the second season of the Canadian television series My Babysitter's a Vampire. Irwin was involved in a six-year campaign, led by her mother, to prevent bauxite strip mining at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve on the Cape York Peninsula. The Queensland Government passed legislation to protect the reserve from mining in November 2013.

Irwin sparked controversy in March 2014 when she announced a partnership with the animal theme park company SeaWorld. The endorsement came in the aftermath of the release of Blackfish (2013), a documentary film concerning SeaWorld's treatment of orcas in captivity. In October, Irwin was named Young Conservationist of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society.

2015–2019: Dancing with the Stars and Crikey! Its the Irwins

In August 2015, Irwin was announced as a contestant on twenty-first season of the American reality competition series Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer Derek Hough. Since Irwin was a minor during the competition, she required special permission from the Los Angeles County Superior Court to perform. She also won the inaugural Young Achiever Award at the Queensland Premier's Sustainability Awards while she was competing.

Irwin and Hough won the competition on 24 November 2015, making Irwin the first Australian contestant to win the series. The couple set the record for the most perfect scores earned in a single season, with eight; actor Jordan Fisher and professional dancer Lindsay Arnold broke their record during the twenty-fifth season. Ten years after her win, Irwin's brother won the thirty-fourth season with professional dancer Witney Carson. His win made them the first celebrity sibling duo to be crowned champions.

Irwin released her fourth album, Bindi and The Jungle Girls: Bindi's Island Dance Party, in 2016. She co-hosted an episode of Entertainment Tonight with actor Cameron Mathison in May 2017. Irwin was appointed as a director of Australia Zoo and was named to the board of directors of Wildlife Warriors by November. In April 2018, Irwin and her family unveiled her father's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and met with Charles, Prince of Wales at Lady Elliot Island to discuss the future of the Great Barrier Reef.