Robert Irwin says public fascination with his family 'still doesn't make sense' to him: 'Who cares?'

Robert Irwin may have been known to Australians since the day he was born but the 20-year-old now admits he still finds the public fascination with his family ‘weird’.

Speaking candidly in an interview for GQ Australia after being named The GQ Man of the Year, Social Force, the wildlife warrior likened the interest in the Irwins, which includes his mum, Terri, and his sister, Bindi, to the hype that surrounds the royal family.

“It’s weird, even though I’ve literally been born into it — that Royal Family effect — it still doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“I don’t understand why paparazzi follow me into the grocery store and report on what I buy. Like, who cares?”

Robert, who was just three years old when his father, Steve Irwin, passed away, said it was hard growing up in the public eye after losing someone so close to him.RELATED:

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“When you lose someone like that and it’s such a public thing – you’re three years old, you’re growing up without a father – it’s incredibly difficult. It is indescribably difficult,” he said.

“But on the other side of that, now, when people come up to me and share a story of when they met Dad, tell me how much his documentary meant to them, I almost feel like I get a little piece of him back.”

Indeed a lot more people will soon recognise Robert's face, as he's set to co-host I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2024 alongside Julia Morris.

The 20-year-old was appointed with the job after former host Dr Chris Brown recently joined rival network Channel Seven.

In a statement from 10, Robert said: “It’s a huge honour to be the new co-host of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. I can’t wait to plunge back into the incredible African jungle and introduce our celebrities to the magnificent wildlife that call the jungle home.

“Most of all, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside the incredibly kind and talented Julia Morris. Crikey! This is going to be a wild ride!”

Robert also keeps his father's dreams alive by working at the family's Australia Zoo complex in Queensland and regularly posts about their work to his social media accounts.

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