In a moving new interview, Robert Irwin has revealed the final words his dad said to him before he died – and why it inspires him to this day.
Steve Irwin was just 44 years old when he passed away after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming in the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.
Robert, who was just two years old when Steve died, said his father left a video message to him in which he explained he was building a legacy for Robert, and his older sister Bindi, to continue.
“For me watching that, it’s like he gave me this gift – it’s there, it’s material, it’s in writing,” the 21-year-old explained through tears, during an appearance on The Viall Files podcast this week. “I’m watching him looking through the camera and telling me, ‘I’m not always gonna be here’.”
The TV personality, who is currently competing on the US version of Dancing With The Stars, said his father told him in the video that he was “creating something that you can continue and that’s what I want you to do”.
“He said, ‘My whole mission is to leave a legacy that my kids can continue’. He said that years before he passed,” he added. “That’s what I get to do now, and it fills me with a lot of pride.”
This week on Dancing With The Stars US, Robert became emotional as he performed a dance to the Phil Collins’ song ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’ as a tribute to his mother, Terri.
The I’m A Celeb host danced the majority of the routine with his dance partner, Witney Carson, before Terri took the stage in the final few moments to dance with her son.
“I was two when I lost dad, and as I got older, I started to realise how hard it must be for her. I’ve never really been able to capture what it…” he said in footage captured in rehearsal earlier in the week.
“I’ve never been able to capture the feeling of gratitude that I feel for her. At every milestone, I just wished that my dad was there. She was there, and that was enough.
“I struggled a lot with losing my dad – a lot. And she always made sure my dad was present in our lives,” he added. “I want her to know how proud my dad would be of her.”
Prior to the dance, both Robert and Terri spoke about how losing Steve made it “difficult to smile again for quite a while”.
“This is a moment with my mum that I’ll cherish forever, and I know my dad would be so proud,” Robert added.
In an Instagram post, the 21-year-old said it had been an emotional week at rehearsals as he reflected on his mother’s strength after losing Steve so young.
“I’ve been reminiscing on the times we’ve spent as a family and how she has kept my dad part of my life,” he wrote.
“This dance is for my mum, it’s for anyone who’s lost someone… and it’s for all the strong mothers of the world who deserve our recognition and appreciation.”
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