B&T caught up with the popular TV hosts ahead the 11th season of the hit reality TV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, which begins on Sunday.
When Robert Irwin was revealed as the successor to celebrity vet Dr Chris Brown to present I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – heads turned at Paramount’s upfront event in 2023. Not only is the 21-year-old considerably younger than Morris, he was also new to prime time free-to-air TV, and would be stepping into a huge role that had been occupied for years by the popular Brown.
A few episodes in and viewers, including those at B&T, have been shocked by the incredible chemistry between the pair. In fact, Irwin’s public profile has soared, becoming one of the most loved TV personalities in Australia, while Morris remains a national treasure.
What many viewers might not realise is that Irwin and Morris have known each other since he was a 10-year-old child and his family was invited to watch the show being filmed in Africa.
“We got dropped in there. I remember looking out the back and you (Julia) gave us your trailer. I remember thinking to myself that I could see myself doing this one day. It’s so cool,” Irwin said.
That day arrived when Irwin made his debut as reality TV presenter alongside Morris. She described him as the “standout” candidate for the role.
“Oftentimes when somebody (Chris Brown) leaves like that, it can be like a swan song, farewell to the show. Getting Robert was such a global coup. It just literally put a spring in all of our steps,” she said.
On screen chemistry
Irwin puts their on screen chemistry down to authenticity, mutual respect and trust, while Morris said the pair share a lot of common traits.
“There’s an innate kindness between us. There’s listening, there’s a thirst for improvement and a thirst for knowledge,” she said.
Irwin said his first season “exceeded every expectation”, describing it as the “experience of a lifetime”.
“I just found the entire experience to just be such a highlight. It was awesome because I got to do what I’ve been doing since I was knee high to a grasshopper. And I’ve always loved getting to share my passion for wildlife, for conservation and for just having fun and living life to the fullest. And that is what I’m a celebrity is all about,” he said.
The pair were coy about what viewers can expect in season 11 of the show, partly to keep the suspense alive and also because at the time B&T interviewed them in December, they weren’t too sure about some of the contestants.
“This season, we’re really going to be showcasing a lot of the beautiful surroundings. Where we are is one of the most spectacular places on earth. So there’s going to be a lot of that in there, and at a very grand scale,” Irwin said.
“The pairing of celebrities that we have this year are going to bring a dynamic that we haven’t seen before. We don’t even know all of the names – and we try and keep it that way – but I do know it’s really going to be on another level.”
Coping with stardom
Irwin has been in the public spotlight since he was born, but his rise as a TV personality in the past year has been remarkable.
He first appeared on TV as a baby in the arms of his father Steve, who was feeding a 4 metre saltwater crocodile on The Crocodile Hunter.
Irwin also featured in a Free Willy movie and Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors, which earned him his first Logie nomination for best new male talent in 2013.
More recently, he has starred in Crikey! It’s The Irwins on Foxtel and his role as the co-host of I’m A Celebrity helped Irwin pick up a nomination for a gold Logie. Morris was also nominated, but the prize went to Larry Emdur.
Perhaps the icing on the cake is being made the face of Queensland’s latest tourism campaign, alongside Bluey (see below).
In spite of his rapid rise to stardom, Irwin said that he doesn’t think of himself as a celebrity.
“My mission and my purpose is to try and make the world a better place, not only in the field of wildlife conservation and environmental preservation, but but also as a young Australian bloke who can hopefully try and be a voice for other young people to realise their own voice and their own potential to make change,” he said.
Irwin is mindful about looking after himself and speaking out on topics that are important to him, such as mental health and how to combat climate change.
“The childhood that I have had has been incredible, but it is also weird when you go to the grocery store and there’s paparazzi out the front wanting to know what you bought at the grocery store. It’s Tim Tams, by the way,” he said.
“Being in the public eye definitely comes with its challenges and it can be hard to navigate, but I feel grateful that I’ve always had a great family around me, supporting me and ensuring that I stay level headed.”
Morris, who has teenage children, said that the Irwins provide optimism and inspiration at a time when people are bombarded with doom, gloom and reams of negative news.
“My girls, who are 16 and 18, I feel went through a stage in the last couple of years of being quite nihilistic about [the world] and thinking ‘you guys have ruined it’,” she said.
“It’s very interesting watching their response to somebody who is a lot closer to their age than I am, who not only has an interest, but has a driving passion that makes them think, ‘Okay maybe there is a chance to save this’.”
How long would you survive in the jungle?
With the more serious questions out of the way, B&T shifted its focus back on I’m A Celebrity and wanted to know how long the pair would survive if they were thrown into the jungle.
“I’d probably last an hour, maybe an hour and a half,” Morris quipped, adding that the animal she is most scared of is the deadly black mamba snake.
Irwin, on the other hand, reckons he would cope well living in the jungle, but would tap out if he had to do one of the eating tests.
“I’d be fine, but as soon as I get to [an eating trial], it’s ‘no, thank you’,” he said, adding that the only animal he is scared of are human beings.
One of the endearing characteristics about Irwin is his insatiable positivity, which is similar to his late father, but does Irwin junior ever have moments when he loses his cool?
The effervescent kid from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast said he doesn’t often get visibly angry, but can become frustrated by “people that abuse their power and do not do the right thing by the environment”.
“That certainly makes me very frustrated, but it gives me a real incentive to be someone who hopefully leads with positivity, with hope and to make the world a better place,” he said.
Morris, on the other hand, pointed out: “We get this question quite a lot, are you ever unhappy or cross? Let’s be honest, you don’t go on television to be furious.”
That notion will be put to the test by celebrities in an African jungle in a few days time. I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! returns for its 11th season on Sunday, January 19, on 10 and 10 Play.