Exclusive: When Robert Irwin got the call to be the TV Week Logie Awards′ youngest ever host, he had to check with mum Terri and sister Bindi before he could say yes.
The conservationist and TV personality, 22, told nine.com.au he first called his family to make sure he could be freed from his Australia Zoo commitments the week of the Logies.
At 22, Robert Irwin will be the youngest ever host of the Logie Awards. Getty Images for SiriusXM
“I had to call them because the entire month of August, I’m up north catching crocodiles for a research expedition that we do,” Irwin began.
After realising the August 16 Logies date coincided with his annual trip with the University of Queensland to catch and tag wild crocodiles, Irwin asked his family to cover for him.
“They were like, ‘Yeah! You’ve got to do it!’ So I was I just jumped at the chance. I mean, it was an immediate yes for me,” he said.
Irwin will be taking over from comedian Sam Pang’s three-year rein as Logies host and says he plans to do things a little differently.
“As harsh as [Pang’s] roasts can be, I love them and he’s a genuinely lovely person. He’s fantastic and we want to preserve that legacy so we’re going to create something completely new that’s going to be fresh and different, and big and theatrical,” he teased.
While Irwin needs absolutely no assistance in the hosting department, he nodded idols that have inspired him.
“Namely, of course, my parents, who absolutely pioneered this incredible new age. I grew up watching them. I mean, forever, my mum and dad will always be my icons,” Irwin glowed of his late father Steve Irwin and mum Terri.
Irwin creditted his parents Steve and Irwin for his passion and positivity. Instagram/@robertirwinphotography
He added that his co-host, dear friend and fellow Gold Logie nominee Julia Morris is another “absolute icon”.
“I have learned so much from her,” Irwin said.
It’s been a monumental year for the environmentalist’s career in the entertainment world with his Dancing with the Stars win in the US and several hosting jobs up his sleeve.
Despite being nominated for the Gold Logie himself, Irwin is campaigning for colleague Julia Morris, who arrived to the nomination event with a cardboard cut-out of the conservationist. Getty/James Gourley
When asked how he manages to find time to rest among all his different jobs and his wildlife conservation work, Irwin said he simply doesn’t.
“I really wouldn’t want any time to rest. I’m at a point right now where I don’t want to rest!” he laughed.
“There’s too much to be done here. And when I’m not doing something like the Logies, I’m up north catching crocodiles, or I just hosted the Climate Action Week with Prince William.”
For a young man bursting with so much energy and positivity, it’s the least bit surprising when he says he’s not the kind to sit by the pool and read a book.
Irwin says he’s ready to take on the 2026 Logies in his usual high-energy style. Instagram/@robertirwinphotography
“All power to anyone who can do that, but I don’t have the attention span for that!” he laughed.
“I’d rather be catching a croc or on stage dancing, or just attacking life, you know? I think that’s what I was put on the planet to do, to just go full send, mate.”
Of course, the driving force behind Irwin’s blossoming showbiz career is to find any platform where he can echo the message of wildlife conservation.
“It’s all to cast this net, to draw in as many people as I can into the message that I’ve got,” he said.
“If people are looking at me and going, ‘Oh, that’s Robert Irwin, that’s that Australia Zoo kid’, then I’ve done my job.”
This year’s Logies ceremony is set to be a major event, celebrating 70 years of Australian broadcast television.
The ceremony will be held on Sunday, August 16, at The Star in Sydney.
Head to tvweeklogies.com.au to vote for your favourite Channel 9 stars and shows