Robert Irwin was left red-faced on The Graham Norton Show after Prince William made a joke about his "python." The 22-year-old Australian conservationist appeared on the BBC programme alongside the Prince of Wales to discuss the Earthshot Prize, which William founded.
Irwin, who posed in nothing but his underwear for a racy Bonds campaign, never expected the pictures to be brought up during the show. The advert was shot in his backyard at Australia Zoo, featuring snakes and spiders.
Embarrassing Moment on the Red Sofa
"I can't believe I'm looking at these with Prince William," Irwin said while attempting not to blush. He added: "It was an underwear commercial, obviously, but I wanted to kind of create a conservation element to it. I believe in bringing the message to an audience that might not ordinarily be in that world."
The discussion soon turned to the Prince of Wales, 44, who was asked if he had seen the images before. "I'm still thinking about your python," William joked, leaving Irwin red-faced as he face-planted the famous sofa.
Friendship and Previous Congratulations
Irwin and the Prince have been friends for several years, often working together on animal conservation projects. Last year, William and his wife, Catherine, shared a message for Irwin after he won Dancing With The Stars in the United States. The Waleses used their Instagram account to congratulate Irwin and his professional partner, Witney Carson, saying: "Congratulations, Robert and Witney," alongside a disco ball emoji.
During his appearance, William joined Cate Blanchett, Irwin and Hannah Waddingham on the red sofa to speak about his Earthshot Prize environmental award, which connects all four guests. He also spoke about his love for Celebrity Traitors, chatted about his favourite films, and took part in the show's big red chair segment.
Royal Revelations and Upcoming Prize
William said: "I love it, the family love it. Charlotte and Louis are obsessed with it. It's really good telly. I saw Ross Kemp the day after the first episode and I couldn't help but try – in the most appropriate way – to touch him to see what reaction I got from him. Turns out he was really jumpy!"
He also disclosed that he had contemplated becoming a DJ in his younger years. When asked if he ever thought about a job outside of the Royal Family, he commented: "I did want to be a policeman when I was younger, I did think I would be a good policeman. And then I went through a phase where I wanted to be a DJ, which didn't go very well, and I came up with a name, I was called DJ Xara with an X, it wasn't good."
Next month, Mumbai will stage the Earthshot Prize, where the future king will meet Bollywood stars as he learns about India's film industry, play with cricketing royalty and preside over the ceremony awarding £5 million in prize money to those with ideas to repair the planet.
