Robert Irwin admits his Instagram DMs exploded after he stripped off for Bonds campaign: 'I'm in a scary place'
But Robert Irwin has now revealed the unexpected - and overwhelming - side effect of his new status as an Aussie heartthrob.
Speaking to Us Weekly ahead of the Steve Irwin Gala in Los Angeles, the 21-year-old conservationist admitted the fallout from the sultry shoot has been a lot to handle.
'I'm in a scary place right now,' he confessed. 'I've been kinda sorta avoiding the direct message section for a little bit.'
It comes after the internet went into meltdown over images of Robert posing shirtless in Bonds underwear - flaunting his ripped torso while cuddling up to native animals including a koala and snake.
The thirst was real – and so was the flood of cheeky DMs.
But Robert insists the shoot was never about vanity, and everything he does comes back to one thing: his passion for conservation.
'I really thought in modelling Bonds underwear or doing Dancing With the Stars, that sort of thing, I could bring in a whole new audience to listen to my conservation message,' he explained.
And he's sticking to that plan - just weeks ago, he announced he'd joined the cast of the US version of Dancing With The Stars, once again showing off his buff bod while cradling a snake for the promo.
'That's how I feel comfortable. That's who I am,' he said.
'It's all about this mission and I've got a real sense of purpose and passion. I got to achieve that.'
'I definitely feel like I'm really lucky that now I've got a whole new audience that I can reach and hopefully just put out a bit of positivity and hopefully say, "Life's for living at 100."'
It comes after Robert denied the photos from the Bonds campaign have been digitally altered.
Robert quickly put paid to the suggestion of digital chicanery, revealing that everything that appeared in the images was 100 per cent real.
'Mate, everything is 100 per cent real,' Robert confirmed during an interview with Karl Stefanovic on Today.
'Everything you see was all there. The spider - that was right there, the beautiful big black headed python that was all there.'
Robert continued: 'My abs - none of that was airbrushed. That was a lot of work - a lot of work and very little carbohydrates.'
Karl then asked Robert to clarify claims, published by New idea, that mum Terri had a problem with the Bonds shoot as it did not align with the Irwin family-friendly brand.
'Mum was fully on board,' Robert revealed. '[She] used to do bodybuilding so she was actually giving me tips.
'Bindi took a bit of convincing. It was a bit uncomfortable.
'I'm still not 100 per cent comfortable with some of it anyway, but you know what? We did it and you just got to own it and give it your all,' he said.
With Robert's steamy shoot setting hearts aflutter across the globe, Karl asked the I'm A Celebrity host how he is dealing with all the attention.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Josh, 22, was living the dream, set to join his mates on the holiday of a lifetime. But then he noticed a small bump on his leg... and his life was turned upside down
When 22-year-old Josh Pardo noticed a strange lump bulging from his upper thigh in late May, he feared the worst but held onto hope. Healthy, happy, and on the brink of a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Bali with his four best mates, the young Aussie had been living his best life. From running his own lawn mowing business in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to helping with the family's small online printing company and spending quality time with his girlfriend Tara, Josh was enjoying the freedoms of young adulthood. But within three days, his life was turned upside down by a shock diagnosis: stage three lymphoma - a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. 'I noticed a lump in my groin, in the upper thigh, almost,' Josh told FEMAIL. 'It was the size of a big grape; it was almost protruding out of my skin.' Before telling his parents, he did what many would do - he searched online for answers. He quickly realised that was a mistake. 'I thought it was pretty weird, but I was quick on the ball and booked myself in with the doctors the next day,' he said. Up until then, Josh had no symptoms, no pain, and no fatigue. With no history of cancer or serious illness in his family, he remained optimistic. However, what followed was a whirlwind of physical exams, an urgent ultrasound, and an anxious wait. 'I got my ultrasound result pictures on my phone, and I was putting it into AI trying to get it to analyse it. It gave me false hope and told me it was like a benign growth or just a swollen lymph node,' he said. Just a week later, a biopsy and PET scan confirmed Josh's worst fear - not only was it cancer, but it had already progressed to stage three, spreading as far as his diaphragm. Josh had been days away from boarding a flight to Bali with his closest friends. The trip was meant to be a celebration of freedom, mateship, and memories. But his cancer had other plans. Josh made the difficult decision to cancel his dream holiday, slow down, and focus on his health. Heartwarmingly, he wasn't just thinking about himself, he was thinking about his parents too. 'Mum and Dad sat me down. I could tell they'd been crying, and I decided to pull the pin... on Bali,' he said. Instead of Bintang beers and beach sunsets, Josh was suddenly preparing for the fight of his life against an aggressive disease. Doctors scheduled six months of intensive chemotherapy, with side effects including hair loss, nausea, and fatigue. His immune system will be severely compromised, meaning he can't live at home with his younger siblings - a 16-year-old brother and nine-year-old sister - who could unknowingly expose him to schoolyard germs. 'My mum put out a Facebook post to all of her friends to help me find a place near the hospital where I can set up on my own. It's so I don't have to be in contact with people all the time,' Josh said. Josh's treatment plan is intense, but thankfully, it has a high success rate. The challenge now is getting through it, both emotionally and financially. With his family recently relocating to Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, they won't be close-by so he'll be dealing with a lot of the next six months alone. In preparation for his first round of chemotherapy in July, Josh has had to stop working, meaning he's lost the income from his lawn mowing business. And while the family's online printing venture continues, his parents are now stretched thin trying to support Josh, run the business, and care for two school-aged children. At just 22 years old, Josh should be worrying about weekend plans, first apartments, and bucket list adventures. Instead, he's facing the terrifying unknown - a six-month battle that no young person should have to fight alone. 'It's just one of those things that you read about online you never, ever expected to happen you,' he said. 'Every morning, I wake up and for the first minute or so, life is normal. Then reality sets in.' But through it all, Josh remains remarkably grounded and optimistic. He knows the months ahead will be gruelling, but with the help of his family, friends, and community, he's determined to come out the other side. 'I'm pretty content with it, and I know there's a lot of people who don't have the community that I have,' he said. 'The survival rate for this is at my age is about 90 per cent, which is amazing.' And thing he's most looking forward to when this is all over? 'Having some beers at the footy with my mates, and getting back to travelling lots'.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Snezana Wood's daughter Eve breaks down in heartbreaking viral video as she speaks about her biological dad for the first time: 'He wanted to see my mum suffer'
Snezana Wood 's daughter Eve has opened up about her biological father in a rare and deeply personal public moment that has since gone viral. The 19-year-old daughter of the former Bachelor star broke down in tears during an interview with Dose of Society, which was shared to the popular Instagram page's 1.7 million followers on Friday. In the raw and unfiltered video, Eve was asked: 'What is the most painful thing anyone has ever said to you?' Her candid response left viewers stunned: 'Probably that I don't deserve the life I'm living.' Wiping away tears, the Melbourne-based teen explained it was her biological dad who made the comment. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I don't know why he said that to me. I grew up just with my mum,' she continued. 'She raised me to be the woman I am today. He wanted to see my mum suffer. And I think when he saw that my mum had built a life for both of us, it was just more of a reaction.' Eve revealed she hasn't seen her biological father in eight years and that he was largely absent from her childhood. 'He was never around when I was little, so it was just my mum and I. I was very close to my mum's side, everyone was there to support me, but I think he just did some things a while back that ended him in places he shouldn't have been in. He just got involved with the wrong people,' she said. The heartfelt clip quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views and comments, with fans flooding the comments section with support and admiration for Eve's strength. When asked what she would say to her mum today, Eve fought back tears again. 'How proud I am of her,' she replied. 'She's done a lot. She sacrificed a lot. She was working nine to five, and after that going to uni. 'She ended up getting her bachelor's in molecular genetics and biology. Seeing how strong she is, how much strength she's got to keep going through all of this - it makes me proud to be my mother's daughter.' Eve, who has grown up largely in the spotlight after Snezana found love with Sam Wood on The Bachelor in 2015, later commented under the clip, offering further insight into how hard it was to speak so vulnerably on camera. 'Thank you so much for letting me share my story,' she wrote. 'My friends, family, and people around me know I've never really taken things too seriously, especially growing up in the public eye. 'At such a young age, I think I learned to protect myself by just laughing things off because it was easier than actually addressing them. 'But the question really caught me off guard. It had been such a long time since I'd been that honest with myself, and I didn't expect to get that emotional. 'I was nervous about how this would be received, especially being vulnerable on social media, knowing how harsh it can be. But the kindness and messages I've received have meant more than I can explain.' Eve was just nine years old when her mum Snezana appeared on season three of The Bachelor, where she met and eventually married fitness entrepreneur Sam Wood. The couple, who tied the knot in 2018, now share three daughters together - Willow, Charlie and Harper - with Sam embracing a father role to Eve from the start. The unlikely sighting comes just weeks after the model revealed she has split with boyfriend Ben Silvagni. Less than one year after going public with their romance, it appears the couple have now parted ways, following a very telling Instagram post from Eve. Eve took to the social media platform to share a promo 'questionnaire' from camera company 35mm Co. The image showed Eve as a '35mm Co muse' providing answers to a series of questions. Eve seemingly put paid to her romance with Ben with just two simple words. Answering the question about her 'relationship status' with 'happily single.' Also tellingly, both Eve and Ben have unfollowed each other on Instagram and apparently scrubbed all evidence of their romance from their respective pages. However, Snezana and her husband Sam Wood are still following their daughter's former flame. While there has been no other word from Eve or Ben about the split, it could be a case of tyranny of distance. Just one month after they confirmed their relationship, Eve revealed that she had moved to New York to study fashion. The teenager is currently studying at the Parsons School of Design.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
NRL star Nicho Hynes reveals emotional meaning behind try celebration: 'I'm sending lots of love'
Sharks star Nicho Hynes has revealed that his post-try celebration on Friday night was dedicated to his good friend Cameron Munster, who recently lost his father, Steven. Four days after the sudden death of his father, Munster played an inspirational role in the Maroons' series-deciding 24-12 win in Sydney. The new Queensland captain said he never considered sitting out the game, believing his father would have told him to return to camp and play the decider. Hynes, who wrote 'Steven' on his wristband on Saturday, forged a close friendship with Munster while the pair played together in Melbourne. Hynes revealed his post-try celebration for the first four-pointer was a tribute to Munster, performing a dance the pair used to do together while at the Storm. 'I've just been thinking about him a lot,' Hynes said afterwards. First points on the board? ✔️ Fortnite moves? ✔️ — NRL (@NRL) July 11, 2025 'I've been talking to my girlfriend about it. It's like, that could have been me. That could be anyone waking up without their dad or a parent. 'I'm sending lots of love to his family. I just remember after games at Melbourne, seeing his old man and old lady in the sheds. Always smiling and happy. 'It touched me a lot, big time.' Munster sat out Melbourne's trip to Newcastle on Saturday after returning to his family in Rockhampton following his inspirational effort in State of Origin III. Hynes said he had watched Munster's game-three performance with pride, after the 30-year-old took him under his wing from the moment he arrived at Melbourne in late 2018. 'In my first pre-season there I was a nobody. I was literally there on a train-and-trial deal and he didn't have to give me any time of day,' Hynes said. 'But he ended up having me at his house for a couple of weeks and whenever he wanted to go for a feed, he'd ask me to go for a feed. 'He was just someone who was so nice and caring and wanted to help out and make me better. 'I looked up to him. I've looked up to him ever since I met him. He's just someone I idolise. 'Even now, seeing the way he's handled it and went out and performed the other night, I don't think I've seen and played with a better rugby league player live.'
