Robert TELLS ALL!

THE RISING STAR DISHES ON FAMILY, FAME AND LOVE

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Robert Irwin has been a national treasure for years, but now America is cottoning on to his star power and charm! As the effervescent 21-year-old continues to impress on the Dancing with the Stars leaderboard, what does Robert make of his surreal life these days? The zookeeper and presenter opens up...

ON... MAKING DAD PROUD

Robert's successful at everything he turns his hand to, and he says everything he does in life is for his late dad, Steve. Only two years old when the Australia Zoo legend passed away in 2006 from a stingray attack, Robert has carried his beloved father's legacy with him ever since. But it's no surprise that Australia is where he feels closest to him.

"It is where I feel his energy and his passion more than anywhere else,” Robert says. "If Australia were a person, it would be my dad. To love your wildlife, to be passionate, to have that spirit of mateship and camaraderie with everyone. He is just a superhero to me."

The DWTS hopeful says he "wishes" Steve was still here to watch him on the show, saying his dad would have been "stoked" to see his son giving it a red-hot crack! "I'm doing this and I do what I do in life to make him proud," Robert says of keeping his dad's spirit alive.