How proud would Steve be?
That is the question that everyone is asking, as Bindi Irwin dances her way toward the finals in the US version of Dancing With The Stars.
How proud would her dinkum Aussie Dad, Steve Irwin, be?
‘I hope he would be proud,’ a still breathless Bindi told the Weekly, during an emotional interview during what is proving to be a dream run through the show, ‘because he was my hero. And because he’s always part of me,’ she added, ‘His wildlife work is part of me. My family is part of me. That’s my heart. And when Dad passed away, it was like losing part of my heart.
‘So where ever I go, wherever I am, he’s next to me.’
Bindi was just eight years old when Steve, 44, was killed by a stingray while filming underwater.
He was famous around the world as the larrikin Crocodile Hunter, with his own TV show, and his own zoo. To this day, Americans will come up to Australians in the US and say: ‘Did you know Steve Irwin?’
He really was that massive in the States.
Bindi was one of his cute co-stars, famous for her tiny khaki uniform, and her impish grin.
She stunned the nation with her composure at her Dad’s funeral, taking the stage in front of thousands of people to read a warm tribute to a man she described as ‘my hero.’
‘I will miss him every day and when I see a crocodile, I will think of him,’ the little Bindi said.
That was nine years ago. Losing her father, mentor and best friend hit hard, but Bindi is today a poised and cheerful 17-year-old, with plenty of the pluck that saw her Dad become a household name around the world.
She tried out for the US version of Dancing With The Stars despite having absolutely zero dance experience.
‘Most kids have taken a ballet course or something, but not me,’ she told the Weekly. ‘I would put on my fairy dress and dance around the zoo with all the animals. Or we would dance on the back of the ute, to ACDC.
‘I never wore heels. So this is unbelievable. Like I’m a totally different person.’
Bindi’s first dance, with her much older and more experienced partner Derek Hough, was a bold tribute to her Dad. She danced to Crocodile Rock, stripping out of her familiar khakis to reveal a bright green, spangled dress.
The judges were blown away.
Next up, Bindi caused a sensation when she let loose to one of Australia’s favourite rock anthems: ACDC’s You Shook Me (All Night Long.)
‘That was my Dad’s favourite song,’ she told the Weekly, ‘and one of my memories of him is standing on the back of the ute, dancing to that song. We just rocked out.’
Bindi’s dazzling run through the competition – she’s now the favourite to win it – is stunning because, as she tells the Weekly, she never wears ‘heels, or rhinestones, or feathers.’
‘But I went in thinking, it’s okay. I’m just a girl from Australia trying to do my best.
‘And if somebody is watching and thinking maybe they should have a go at something, I would encourage that: if there is something that you want to do, take the leap. See how you go.’
Of course it hasn’t all been plain sailing. some fans have claimed that Bindi is getting favourable treatment because her dance partner’s sister, Julianne Hough, is one of the judges.
She’s determined to shake off the critics, just as she did when people criticized an essay she wrote about population control for Hillary Clinton’s online journal.
Bindi has been living in the States for several months as she rehearses. If she goes all the way to the final, she’ll have to stay until at least the last week of November. Her Mum, Terri, is with her, as is her little brother, Bob, whose first reaction when he saw Bindi all dolled up was: ‘Wow! You look so different.’
Local magazines have been in a tizz about the fact that Bindi’s also got a boyfriend, Chandler Powell, who is a wakeboarder from Florida, who was visiting the DWTS set on the day the Weekly visited.
The cute couple, clearly smitten with each other, posed for photographs on the red carpet.
‘He’s a really, really good guy,’ Bindi gushed, ‘and I’m lucky, my whole family loves him.’
