Bindi Irwin chats about her new Kidfitness video and how she’s coping without her exceptional dad.
Was the video fun to make?
A lot of fun. Especially fun because I got to get up and dance. That was really cool. I had some dance lessons so I could do all the moves with the Crocmen. The whole thing took about two months. One month to learn the dances and another month to learn the songs.
Had you discussed the reasons behind this video with your parents?
Yes, I talked to my mum and dad about the importance of keeping fit and healthy. Because a lot of kids are just sitting on the couch playing video games and eating fries – all of that bad greasy junk food. We want to remind people how you can have fun and live well.
Does your family exercise much together?
Yes, we always have. My dad and mum would get up and run around with us. And we’d love to swim together. We all do a lot of exercise. We usually play hide and seek around the house. Or we go to the zoo and run around to see the animals. Sometimes I go bike riding.
In the video you and Steve are joking around a lot in the cooking scenes. He even puts pie in your face!
Yes, in the video I’m the nine-year-old and he’s the eight-year-old. I’m one year older! He really can cook but he likes to pretend he’s having trouble in the video.
When you look at that tape and you’re having so much fun in the kitchen, you get a laugh out of that?
I do get a laugh and it’s really nice to look back on all the memories. Sometimes it’s really sad and I have to cry a little bit. But I really believe he’s just in another world, it’s not like he’s… tormented!
Do you cook much?
I kind of cook. I cook really good desserts. My daddy wasn’t a really dessert person. I can cook a dessert that has more fruit than ice-cream.
What’s your favourite Christmas meal?
Steak. My dad cooked, oh my word, mouth-watering steak. Oh, I loved his steak. He was like a chef with food, he was amazing. Just give him an oven, give him milk and flour and you have a beautiful gourmet dinner.
Was this all year or just at Christmas?
Terri: Through the year. He’d cook every night. We’d go to the property and he’d cook barbecues.
What would you normally eat in one day?
Generally I have toast and fruit for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and dinner I have curries and salads and all the nutritious stuff… steaks. Snacks in the day are apples, grapes, all of that. I have a lot of fruit. I think I’m actually a monkey, I eat lots of bananas. Sometimes I actually share with the animals. I go into the enclosure and I share with them. The lemurs, they give me a piece and I give them a piece and we feed each other. It’s so cute!
There must be something you like to eat that’s not so healthy?
I really like a little piece of chocolate, it’s really yummy… my mum’s addicted to it! She has to watch my Kidfitness Show!
Will there be other health and fitness videos?
Hopefully next year there will be another. Working with the Crocmen again. They’re really nice.
Are they the next Wiggles?
John Stainton: They’re catering for an older group than the Wiggles. They’re six down and we’re eight up. We’ve worked with the Wiggles before and we’ll be working with them again in January. They’re great friends of Bindi’s.
Bindi: Even though I’m eight years old I’m really good friends with the Wiggles!
So the video would make a good present?
I would love kids to get it for Christmas! It would be really cool if they could get up and dance along because it’s really scary to see kids getting so big. I don’t want people to stay still like a slab of concrete, just watching videos and not moving. It’s important to get fit and healthy so you have the energy to get out and do things.
What do you want from Santa?
There’s a series of books about different kinds of fairies which I would love to get. But most of all I want peace and happiness for Christmas Day.
Any New Year’s resolutions?
Next year, I think I would like to take my singing and dancing and my conservation to another level.
So you’re going to work with wildlife?
Yep. Just like my dad. I want to help conservation. I’m a Wildlife Warrior. I want to get out there and help!
Well, Bindi, thank you. A pleasure interviewing you. You know you’re better than a lot of grown-ups!
Thank you. Thank you very much!
Listen to John Williamson’s musical tribute to Steve Irwin.
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