TV star and conservationist Robert Irwin has spoken out about his friendship with Prince William, revealing that the future king is a down-to-earth individual who shares his passion for conservation. Irwin, the son of the late Australian 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin, serves as an ambassador for the royal's Earthshot Prize.
Friendship Born from Conservation Work
Appearing on ITV's This Morning on Wednesday, June 24, Irwin discussed their bond after presenter Ben Shephard remarked that he had 'become best mates with our future king.' Irwin explained that his collaboration with Prince William stems from the Earthshot Prize, a global initiative to award solutions to environmental challenges.
'His Royal Highness Prince William has become someone that I work with quite a lot through the Earthshot Prize, which is, of course, his amazing global initiative to award the biggest and brightest solutions in environmental issues,' Irwin said. 'And basically, it's about kind of looking at conservation and all of these big challenges through the lens of optimism, urgent optimism.'
A Passionate Environmentalist
Irwin praised Prince William's dedication to conservation, calling him 'a passionate individual' and 'one of the greatest environmentalists that we have on the planet.' He added, 'When I am around other people who share that passion for conservation, it gets me so excited. And he truly is, I think, one of the greatest environmentalists that we have on the planet. He's amazing.'
Surprise FaceTime Call During Dancing with the Stars
Irwin shared a touching anecdote about Prince William's support. While participating in Dancing with the Stars in America, Irwin received an unexpected FaceTime call from the prince. 'This is a perfect example of what he's like, right? I was doing Dancing with the Stars in America, bringing the conservation mission to a very different audience. He FaceTimed me in rehearsals with my dance partner just to wish me well on all the dancing. He is just... I had no idea it was happening.'
Irwin described the moment: 'They sit me down, and they go, 'Apparently, there's a really important call coming through.' And there he is on the laptop. There's Prince William. And I'm just like, 'Oh, hey, mate. Thank you so much. This is awesome.'' He added, 'So he is just a down-to-Earth human being and someone who knows the importance of conservation reaching different audiences.'
Speed Dial and a Privileged Partnership
When asked if he has Prince William's number in his phone, Irwin confirmed, 'On speed dial.' Reflecting on their collaboration, Irwin remarked, 'Joining forces with Prince William with the Earthshot Prize was not on my bingo card. But honestly, it is such a privilege.'
Robert Irwin's father, Steve Irwin, was a renowned conservationist and environmentalist who operated Australia Zoo, which the family continues to maintain. Steve Irwin died in 2006 at age 44 after a stingray's barb pierced his chest while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.
This Morning airs at 10am on ITV on weekdays.
