“I feel very lucky that I’ve got her in my corner.”

Bindi Irwin has happily watched from the sidelines as her young brother Robert’s star has risen, and she plans to watch him on his latest venture.

The youngest Irwin is getting ready to compete in the latest season of Dancing with the Stars in the US.

Speaking exclusively to People at the Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas, he said they felt no competition between each other.

“There is no sibling rivalry,” he said. “It’s actually really nice. She has just said, ‘Go into this and make it your own.’ She said it’s going to be a completely different experience.”

The I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! host said being part of the American show brought back memories of watching his sister compete.

“I mean, I was there as a little 11-year-old kid with my little blonde bowl cut watching her and trying to support from the sidelines, and now Bindi is going to be there supporting me, and she’ll have a lot more dance wisdom than 11-year-old Robert,” he said. “I didn’t have much to bring to the table, but she does. She’s done it. She’s won it.”

Despite her success, he does not feel the pressure.

“I’m definitely going to be leaning on her a lot, as I have throughout my entire life, to be honest,” he said. “I think loss brings a family together like nothing else, and for us, for Bindi and me, we’ve always had each other’s backs through everything, and this is going to be no different. I feel very lucky that I’ve got her in my corner.”
Bindi won the US series when she was just 17! (Credit: Getty)

Was Bindi ever frustrated with Robert for going on DWTS?

When the news was first announced about Robert joining the cast, sources speculated that Bindi’s nose was “slightly out of joint” that he had signed up to compete, as that had always been her big claim to reality TV fame.

Bindi was just 17 when she competed on the show in 2015. Partnered with professional dancer Derek Hough, she ended up taking home the Mirrorball Trophy.

“This was Bindi’s big win … her glory, and through no fault of her own, she was unable to continue building on the incredible momentum she got doing that show,” an industry insider said when Rob’s casting was first announced.

“She still gets fan mail from American viewers,” they added.

Thankfully, Robert’s latest comments indicate that this is not the case.
Robert Irwin is getting ready to compete on Dancing with the Stars US. (Credit: Instagram)
His casting in the US series’ 34th season was confirmed to much fanfare at an event in Los Angeles on April 23. The new Bonds underwear ambassador and currently single star appeared shirtless with a snake draped around his shoulders like a feather boa.

On Instagram, Bindi congratulated Robert on the news, explaining how excited she was to watch him on the dance floor. However, she couldn’t resist reminding him of the very big shoes he has to fill.

Along with a photo of her and Robert together in their Australia Zoo khakis, Bindi uploaded a throwback video from her own Dancing with the Stars stint.
A shirtless Robert Irwin got cosy with Dancing with the Stars host Julianne Hough at the cast announcement event. (Credit: Social media)
“Can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I won,” she added in the caption.

Our source said it was “going to be hard” for Bindi to watch Robert out there performing.

“The show was her last big triumph and unlike anything she could ever top again,” the source continued. “It’s also a reminder of how much her health problems have set her back.”

Bindi has spoken openly about living with endometritis and the crippling pain she endured until she finally had surgery in 2023.

She was also rushed to surgery in Las Vegas this month and had to miss the Steve Irwin Gala. Taking to Instagram after the surgery, she revealed that her appendix was removed, she had 14 more endometriosis lesions taken out, and she had a hernia stitched up.
Bindi and Robert Irwin are notoriously close and now have Dancing with the Stars US in common. (Credit: Instagram)

Left to run Australia Zoo

Robert doing DWTS also means Bindi will be left holding down the fort at Australia Zoo, alongside her husband, Chandler Powell. Robert will need to be based in America for several months for rehearsals and filming. His relocation will be extended if he makes it to the finals.

It’s thought that their mother, Terri, will be with Robert for a large part of the time, just like she joins him in South Africa for I’m A Celebrity filming.

“Robert’s absolutely ecstatic, but Terri and Bindi are not letting it get to his head,” the source said. “It’s true he’s always measured himself against his big sister, so there’s always been a competitive edge to his ambitions.

“Being invited on Dancing with the Stars wasn’t something he was going to say no to just to avoid hurt feelings. But in Robert’s defence, he always acknowledges he’d be nothing if it wasn’t for his family – he knows there’s no way he’d have been invited on if Bindi hadn’t been such a popular contestant.”