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In the early 2000s, The Crocodile Hunter was one of the most popular shows on TV dedicated to covering wild animals. This was in large part due to the charisma, charm, humor, and genuine nature of famed host Steve Irwin. At the time, fans got to see Steve and wife Terri welcome their two children into the world and start their family.

After his tragic death in 2006, the world has had the privilege of watching young Bindi and Robert grow up before our eyes. Bindi went on to win Dancing with the Stars in 2015, got married earlier this year, and now, just five months after her wedding, announced today that she and Chandler Powell are expecting their first child together. 

Steve Irwin and daughter Bindi gives a press conference outside his Australia Zoo
Steve Irwin and daughter Bindi gives a press conference outside his Australia Zoo | Graeme Parkes/Newspix – Getty Images

Bindi Irwin’s parents fell in love in a similar way

Bindi Sue Irwin’s relationship with her now-husband Chandler Powell started in a way not unlike her own parents’. In 1991, Terri Irwin was on a tour throughout Australia visiting various wildlife rehabilitation centers. It was then when she met a young Steve Irwin, the son of the founder of the Australia Zoo. They began what she calls a “whirlwind romance,” and were married just eight months later. They settled in Australia, and in 1996, The Crocodile Hunter premiered on Animal Planet; Bindi was born two years later. 

Who is Bindi Irwin’s husband Chandler Powell?

In an almost identical story, Bindi Irwin was working at the Australia Zoo in 2013 when Chandler Powell, a professional wakeboarder from Florida, was visiting with his family. The two quickly hit it off, and began a long-distance relationship that eventually led Powell to retire from his wakeboarding career and move to Australia to be with Bindi. Sound familiar?

Steve Irwin was present at Bindi’s wedding

Though Powell never got to meet Steve Irwin, Bindi knows that her father would’ve loved him. “He grew up watching The Crocodile Hunter, and he shares the same passion for wildlife conservation and nature. “He’s just always there for me,” she told People magazine in 2017. “My family loves him too, which is terrific. And it’s wonderful to find somebody who really will be there no matter what.”

Powell proposed to Irwin in July of 2019, and the two tied the knot in Australia this past March. What made their celebration special, though, wasn’t the fact that Steve Irwin was there in spirit; he was there in some physical form too. Australian-Brazilian artist (and Irwin family fan) Debb Oliver, also known as The Monkey Brush, painted a gorgeous family portrait of the Irwins on Bindi’s wedding day — with their beloved patriarch at his daughter’s side. 

Quoting Scottish poet Thomas Campbell, Bindi acknowledges her father’s presence is with her always: “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” 

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The first ‘Crocodile Hunter’ grandchild is on the way

While her parents married after a few months of dating and waited about six years before having children, Bindi’s done somewhat of a reverse of that process: Irwin and Powell dated for nearly six years, and are now expecting their first child together after just five months of marriage. “Baby Wildlife Warrior due 2021,” Irwin said in an Instagram post today. “Though I’m still in my first trimester, we really want you to be part of our journey from the beginning of this new life chapter. We couldn’t wait to share the news as this beautiful little being has become the most important part of our lives.”

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