Vault: Interview - Crocodile Hunter

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault Interview – Crocodile Hunter

Host: Mike (Pionaire Podcasting)
Guests: Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin
Original Air Date: October 29, 2025

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Episode Overview

This energetic and humorous episode features a lively interview with Steve Irwin ("The Crocodile Hunter") and his wife, Terri Irwin. The conversation covers their whirlwind U.S. tour, adventures with wildlife, the story of how Steve and Terri met, memorable career moments, and stories about danger, scars, and family life. The Irwins share their signature humor and warmth, making for an entertaining listen peppered with funny anecdotes and insights into their unique lives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. United States Tour & Lifestyle

• Steve and Terri describe their hectic U.S. press tour, flying between major cities and arriving in Atlanta.
  Steve jokes about their private jet adorned with crocodile artwork and admits, "They're not letting me drive it yet."
  • [02:18] Steve: “We actually walk in and out of its mouth. You know, it’s really cool. So a bloke from the outback with his own Lear. It’s very dangerous. They’re not letting me drive it yet.”

2. Steve and Terri’s Backgrounds & Meeting Story

• Terri recounts meeting Steve while visiting Australia as a tourist. Steve was giving a crocodile demonstration, and Terri was instantly charmed—by both his knowledge and his looks.
  • [03:22] Terri: "He's telling me that crocodiles are wonderful mothers and passionate lovers. … The male crocodile actually goes through what's called foreplay."
  • [03:54] Terri: “But you can understand I appreciated this guy immediately. I was like, wow, he's got a handle on this. And he's got such nice legs. … It was just destiny.”
• First date anecdote:
  • [04:23] Terri: "He took me out to dinner, and we're leaving the restaurant, and he goes, 'I smell ducks.' ... I really thought it was amazing ... they've been there for 10 years now."

3. Professional Danger & Relationship Dynamics

• Terri shares about worrying for Steve’s safety during stunts and filming—an ongoing negotiation in their marriage.
  • [05:28] Terri: "Constantly. Oh, it is absolutely constantly. … I usually jump them when they're six feet long or smaller. … Yeah, this one's nine and a half feet long. It's gonna bite your head off. And he's like, it didn't, though."
• Steve downplays the danger with characteristic bravado and humor:
  • [05:53] Steve: "Okay, so it cracked me across the head, but it never bit me. Oh, one bite on the leg, but it didn't. It didn't hurt."
  • [06:13] Steve: "I've been bitten a thousand times."

4. "Scar Competition" & Injuries

• The interview turns playful as the hosts and Steve compare scars and injury stories.
  • [06:10] Steve: "Here, mate, where the chainsaw got me."
  • [06:53] Mike (Host): “Like, look at this. I got this one here on my elbow from skating down Dictionary Hill in Californ.”
  • [06:39] Interviewer (Jeff): “You want to share? … But I wanted to open a can of SpaghettiOs and I didn’t know how to work the can opener..."
• Steve’s humor about his many injuries keeps the conversation lighthearted.

5. Family Life & Safety

• Terri and Steve discuss their young daughter.
  • [07:02] Steve: "She's very safety conscious. We've got a little daughter now. … She'll be four next month."
• Steve acknowledges Terri’s safety focus, while joking about his own risk tolerance.

6. Studio Pranks & Fun Moments

• The studio is interrupted by a guest in an alligator costume, prompting jokes and laughter:
  • [07:34] Terri: "Oh, my God. I think this crocodile's gonna lay eggs. Oh, my God."
  • [07:48] Steve: "Have a look at this little beauty."
  • [07:50] Terri: "The crocodile is now lighting a smoke."
• The Irwins’ response shows their sense of humor and rapport with the Bert Show cast.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On their tour lifestyle:
  Steve Irwin (02:19): "So a bloke from the outback with his own Lear. It's very dangerous. They're not letting me drive it yet."
• On meeting Steve:
  Terri Irwin (03:54): "But you can understand I appreciated this guy immediately. I was like, wow, he's got a handle on this. And he's got such nice legs. … It was just destiny."
• On facing danger:
  Terri Irwin (05:28): "I usually jump them when they're six feet long or smaller. ... this one's nine and a half feet long. It's gonna bite your head off." Steve Irwin (05:53): "Okay, so it cracked me across the head, but it never bit me."
• On being married:
  Steve Irwin (05:04): "We've been married nearly 10 years now. … And the secret to our success is she still doesn't understand what I'm saying."
• On studio antics:
  Terri Irwin (07:34): "I think this crocodile's gonna lay eggs." Steve Irwin (07:48): "Have a look at this little beauty." Terri Irwin (07:50): "The crocodile is now lighting a smoke."

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [01:45] – Intro to Steve and Terri Irwin, whirlwind U.S. tour discussion
• [02:19] – Steve on the private jet with crocodile designs
• [03:22] – Terri’s tale of meeting Steve at Australia Zoo
• [04:23] – The “I smell ducks” first date story
• [05:28] – Conversations on danger and filming stunts
• [06:10] – Scar comparison and injury anecdotes
• [07:02] – Parenting and safety in the Irwin household
• [07:31] – Studio surprise with guest in an alligator costume
• [07:53] – Wrap up and thanks

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Tone & Style

The conversation is energetic, warm, and peppered with classic Australian humor and cheerful banter. Steve Irwin’s enthusiasm and Terri's affectionate humor shine, matching the openness and wit of The Bert Show hosts.

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For listeners and Crocodile Hunter fans alike, this episode delivers charm, laughs, and behind-the-scenes stories that capture the Irwins’ unique dynamic and love of wildlife adventure.

Transcript

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[Interviewer]

The bird show.

[Mike (Host)]

You know how there are just some people that no matter what they say, they excite you about what they're selling. The Crocodile Hunter is that guy. He had a movie that came out. Wasn't that great? Didn't do so good. But by the time he left the studio you would swear this thing was going to be an Academy Award. How are you guys?

[Steve Irwin]

We are fantastic.

[Terry Irwin]

Wonderful.

[Mike (Host)]

We're glad to be here.

[Interviewer]

Thanks.

[Mike (Host)]

Thanks so much for coming in.

[Steve Irwin]

Thanks for having us Mike.

[Mike (Host)]

Now I know you guys are, like, on this whirlwind tour of the States right now.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, yep.

[Mike (Host)]

And obviously Atlanta today, But what other states did you hit before you got in here?

[Steve Irwin]

Let's see, I landed in lax, got zipped around the airport.

[Mike (Host)]

How's this?

[Steve Irwin]

We've got our own private jet, this, you know, state of the art Learjet with a crocodile down both sides. We actually. We actually walk in and out of its mouth. You know, it's really cool. So a bloke from the outback with his own Lear. It's very dangerous. They're not letting me drive it yet. So we flew straight from LAX to Chicago, Chicago to Dallas, and from Dallas to the capital, D.C. d.C. To Atlanta. Here we are, mate.

[Mike (Host)]

Now, this isn't your first trip to the States here, I'm guessing.

[Terry Irwin]

No.

[Steve Irwin]

Oh, no, we're here all the time.

[Terry Irwin]

You are actually from here. So you're from Oregon.

[Interviewer]

Correct.

[Terry Irwin]

Okay.

[Mike (Host)]

Is that. Is when you guys go up to Oregon, do you ever get to, like, unleash, you know, what you love to do best out in Oregon and go and do some hunting and fishing and stuff like that?

[Steve Irwin]

Absolutely.

[Terry Irwin]

We hunt bears down and try to photograph them before Steve's killed and eaten by them. It's really. Steve likes to go out just before winter and look for bears. And I go, man, they're about to hibernate. You know what bears do before they hibernate? They eat. What are you doing?

[Interviewer]

How does. How does a girl from Oregon meet a crocodile hunt from Australia?

[Terry Irwin]

Yeah, I went to Australia as an innocent, unsuspecting tourist and went into Australia Zoo, where this guy is doing a crocodile demonstration. And he's telling me that crocodiles are wonderful mothers and passionate lovers. And you know what crocodiles do. Not many people know this, but the male crocodile actually goes through what's called foreplay.

[Interviewer]

I don't get it.

[Steve Irwin]

Yeah, I'm like this really?

[Terry Irwin]

Wake up.

[Interviewer]

No, no, no.

[Terry Irwin]

He's nice to the female crocodile, sometimes for hours.

[Interviewer]

Are you speaking Australian now?

[Terry Irwin]

Yeah, yeah.

We don't understand it, but you can understand I appreciated this guy immediately. I was like, wow, he's got a handle on this. And he's got such nice legs. I mean, get a load of them. And where they attach is great too. He had been catching crocodiles for months on end with his little dog, and he hadn't seen a woman in quite a while. So I had a distinct advantage, you know, because I am a woman, and said, g'. Day. And we just clicked, man, it was so romantic. It Was just destiny.

[Interviewer]

Where's your first date?

[Terry Irwin]

You know, our first date is when he took me out to dinner. And it's like the only time we've gone out to dinner.

[Mike (Host)]

He was courting you for 20.

[Terry Irwin]

Yeah, that was it. And he took me out to dinner, and we're leaving the restaurant, and he goes, I smell ducks. And I go, wow, that's really amazing. We walk out, sure enough, here's this pond with ducks on it. I'm going, this is the most amazing man I've ever met. Of course, that restaurant and that pond had been there for years, but I really thought it was amazing. I smell ducks. Yeah, they've been there for 10 years now.

[Mike (Host)]

The story is even stranger than that because your background is in construction, right?

[Terry Irwin]

Yeah, I worked in construction in the family business. And so when we got married, it was like, I married the man and got the zoo. That's amazing.

[Steve Irwin]

And we've been married nearly 10 years now. And the secret to our success. Yeah, that's right. We've been married for 10 years now. And the secret to our success is she still doesn't understand what I'm saying.

[Interviewer]

Beautiful.

[Mike (Host)]

Yeah.

[Terry Irwin]

You can ask me anything.

[Mike (Host)]

I don't know what he's talking about. Are there times where he's approaching things that are too dangerous, where you have to pull him aside when the cameras are off or whatever and go, look here, Steve, come on, let's not do this.

[Terry Irwin]

Well, not more than once a week. Constantly. Oh, it is absolutely constantly. Yeah. With the movie filming, I know Steve was saying, okay, I'm gonna get in the water with this crocodile because, you know, often you have to jump crocs now. I usually jump them when they're six feet long or smaller. And I'm going, yeah, this one's nine and a half feet long. It's gonna bite your head off. And he's like, it didn't, though.

Yeah.

[Steve Irwin]

Okay, so it cracked me across the head, but it never bit me. Oh, one bite on the leg, but it didn't. It didn't hurt.

[Mike (Host)]

Like, look at this.

[Steve Irwin]

I got everything.

[Terry Irwin]

Yeah. And a nice scar on the side of your face. And we had to stop filming for a week. Oh, really?

[Mike (Host)]

So that was that, the one that's gotten you in the face?

[Steve Irwin]

Oh, no, that's several. Hit me in the face, you get a good close look.

[Interviewer]

Where's your best scar?

[Steve Irwin]

Here, mate, where the chainsaw got me.

[Mike (Host)]

Oh, my God.

[Steve Irwin]

Yeah, yeah, no, it's. You know what? I. I've been bitten a thousand times.

[Mike (Host)]

Or more, so you got scars all over your body?

[Steve Irwin]

No, no, just little nicks, you know. How's this?

[Interviewer]

How's this?

[Steve Irwin]

Like I've got scratched, like almost suicidal scratches here on my hands.

[Interviewer]

Oh, wow.

[Steve Irwin]

How long ago is that? Three days. On top of the veins.

[Mike (Host)]

I got this one here on my elbow from skating down Dictionary Hill in Californ.

[Steve Irwin]

That is good.

[Mike (Host)]

I hit a rock and my skateboard went right over the front.

[Terry Irwin]

Yeah.

[Mike (Host)]

You got one?

[Interviewer]

You want to share? Oh, yeah. You know what? When I was a kid, my parents told me not to, you know, be careful when I was home alone. But I wanted to open a can of SpaghettiOs and I didn't know how to work the can opener, so I jammed a knife into the top of the can of Spaghettios. And missed.

[Mike (Host)]

Yeah. All of Jeff's injuries are food related. Now let me ask the same question of you. Are there some things that sometimes Terry is doing where you go? Okay, that's not safe. We gotta stop you from doing this right now.

[Steve Irwin]

Nah, not really. She's very safety conscious. We've got a little daughter now. Little? She's only. What does she be? About that big?

[Mike (Host)]

How old is she?

[Terry Irwin]

Three?

[Steve Irwin]

She'll be four next month.

[Mike (Host)]

Talking to Steve and Terry Irwin from the Crocodile Hunter.

[Steve Irwin]

Wait on, mate.

[Interviewer]

Hang on.

[Mike (Host)]

I got to go in and just show up in an alligator outfit.

[Steve Irwin]

In between me legs.

[Terry Irwin]

Hang on.

[Mike (Host)]

Phil Toro just showed up in the studio in an alligator outfit.

[Terry Irwin]

Oh, my God. I think this crocodile's gonna lay eggs. Oh, my God.

[Mike (Host)]

He has pin fill.

[Terry Irwin]

Nice one.

[Steve Irwin]

Have a look at this little beauty.

[Terry Irwin]

The crocodile is now lighting a smoke.

[Mike (Host)]

Thanks so much for coming in and welcome to Atlanta, y'.

[Interviewer]

All. Thank you.

[Terry Irwin]

Thank you.

[Mike (Host)]

Thanks for coming.

[Interviewer]

The bird show.

[Terry Irwin]

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