A very innocent message from Robert Irwin has sparked an online war of words.
The 20-year-old conservationist and newcomer to I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Australia shared a classic “dad” joke on Instagram this week that featured him standing on top of a dam, before quipping “damn.”
But the harmless joke quickly sparked an avalanche of controversy when a follower made the unsolicited comment: ‘Please don’t become a fashion model’ – a reference to the Wildlife Warrior who briefly appeared on the catwalk at Melbourne Fashion Week last month.
“Amen,” another fan replied, before adding, “I feel like he’s getting a little squeamish already. Nooooo.”
“This is a pretty ugly comment,” another fan responded.
A very innocent message from Robert Irwin (pictured) has sparked an online war of words
“Please don’t tell him how to live his OWN life as his OWN person. Let him invent himself. Mind your damn business,” another raged.
Another follower supported the idea that Robert had let fame influence him, writing, “There was a time when Robert was humble, and we loved him for that. Times have changed.’
‘My eyes rolled so hard at this comment that I almost fell off my chair. How incredibly stupid,” responded a supporter of Steve Irwin’s son.
The controversy comes as Robert’s I’m A Celebrity co-host Julia Morris reportedly feels like she is being “overshadowed” by Irwin about the popular reality series.
The harmless joke quickly caused an avalanche of controversy when a follower made the unsolicited comment: ‘Please don’t become a fashion model’
A TV insider told Ny Breaking Australia that Julia, 55, feels pressure to ‘keep up’ with Robert’s natural banter.
“While viewers have been celebrating the arrival of Robert Irwin as presenter, Julia is feeling fatigued by the pressure to match his natural energy,” said a source on set.
“It’s like when you agree to babysit your friend’s child and you pretend to love him until you don’t. You tell their parents that you love their child as if it were your own, but secretly you would like to have a glass of wine and put the child to bed.’
“That’s where Julia is and there are executives trying to keep this from coming across on camera.”
The original comment was a reference to the Wildlife Warrior who briefly appeared on the catwalk at Melbourne Fashion Week last month. Pictured on March 6
The insider claimed that producers had Julia and Robert spend two weeks together ahead of filming to build their chemistry, but she is “struggling.”
‘Julia runs out of steam and struggles to keep up. Maybe letting them live in each other’s pockets wasn’t such a good thing after all. It is now clear that it was unsustainable,” she added.
The source said Julia has “quite a bit of experience with comedy,” but not as much as Robert, who “performs all day at the Australia Zoo.”
Julia Morris is reportedly being ‘overshadowed’ by her new co-host of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Australia. Both shown
“Robert is really used to performing for several people a day at Australia Zoo,” the insider added.
“It’s in his DNA to involve everyone in the back row and that kind of experience from such a young age has him doing laps around Julia’s usual shtick.”
Robert is reportedly blazing his own trail with his role in I’m A Celebrity and ‘couldn’t be more popular right now.’
“There has been more focus on Julia over the past ten seasons and she knew she would bring her A-game. There was never any uncertainty about her hosting abilities versus her former co-host, Dr. Chris Brown,” the source said.
A TV insider told Ny Breaking Australia that Julia, 55, feels pressure to ‘keep up’ with Robert’s natural banter
They also claimed that there could be a “dark cloud that could cause Julia to quit the show at the end of this season.”
“Everyone in the industry knows that Robert could ask for a huge raise if the show wraps next year and if that amount is more than Julia’s annual raise. It can be a difficult relationship to navigate.”
‘To avoid drama on set, they are making sure the two get a break from each other, but with the live audience watching, it will be interesting to see how this season plays out. It gives ‘magical vibes’ from the team that makes this show.”
Ny Breaking Australia has contacted Julia Morris for comment.