Bindi, The Jungle Girl
 

The 8-year-old daughter of Australia's "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin kicks off her American showbiz career this week with a series of high-profile television appearances and speeches across the United States.

Bindi Irwin, who will star in the 26-part "Bindi, the Jungle Girl" series on Discovery Kids network this year, will address the National Press Club in Washington, as well as appear on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "The Late Show" with David Letterman.

"She'll be welcomed with open arms and rightly so. She's a very special child," Discovery senior vice-president Annie Howell told Australian media on Monday.

Steve Irwin, 44, died on September 4 after a stingray's serrated barb pierced his heart while he was filming scenes for a documentary off Australia's northeast coast.

Bindi's U.S. tour coincides with the airing of the "Ocean's Deadliest" documentary her exuberant, khaki-clad Australian naturalist father was working on when he died.

While with her U.S.-born mother Terri Irwin, Bindi and her Crocmen backing dancers will team up with The Wiggles for concerts in Los Angeles and New York. Bindi has been performing her show already to thousands at Australian Zoo's Crocoseum.

"That's what her dad did for the last three years, he went over every year and did that and he did a big show," manager John Stainton said.

As part of an Australian government promotion, she will also join Australian actors Russell Crowe and
Naomi Watts, as well as Australian-born media baron Rupert Murdoch, for a gala dinner.

Discovery's Howell said Bindi's television series would premiere in the U.S. in the next several months.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070108/...lia_irwin_dc_1

Raph's Girl note: The Wiggles scare me....

Is'nt she a little too young to be working with wild animals?

Nah, she looks too scary to get attacked. Yes, scary, not scared.

She looks like a troll or something. However, if she's only got half her father's talent with animals (let's just skip the part where he was impaled by one), then she should be fine.

her father just passed away recently, does she have to start doing shows so quickly?

Her series was already well in the works before Steve died. I've seen a preview of it... it's um...odd... a fun musical romp about animals.

Bindi has a love for animals much like Steve did...only she's more into snakes than crocs. She's 8 years old but to me seems more grown up than she should be. Especially since she's doing speaches and touring and stuff. IMO Bindi looks a WHOLE lot like Steve....So does Little Bob.

*nods* I have heard about this. Apparently she wanted to get back to doing the shows as soon as possible. My mom was kind of freaked out by the fact that she was going back to doing shows so quickly, but my guess it's Bindi's way of dealing with Steve's loss. But yeah, she's definatly making a name for herself out there in the world of educational entertainment. She's like a young woman in that sense, which is pretty scarey. I am twice her age and the only thing I'm known for is my love for anime and my "offbeat observations" in classes, while here's a little girl making a television show *shrugs* Well, that's the way the earth turns, I guess...

Na, not really. They won't exactly throw her into a tank with a starved Great White Shark that was caught two weeks ago swimming around in it. No, she'll more than likely be handling stuff like Tree Frogs and Green Snakes and Pythons that they have raised in the Australian Zoo. Friendly and safe, but also educational :)

And swimming with stingrays, for example.

How could you be so insensitive :cry:

...Anarky, you are really pushing me. Remember, I'm an Australian who loved Steve. Jokes from TV I can stand, but comments like that I can not.

There's a good example of trolling (see Forum Rule #2). Please stop.

More than anything, it shows a lack of class. Funny how ballsy some people get when they have a computer screen to hide behind.

My younger brother loved Steve Irwins shows, so im positive he will watch Bindis.

No, seriously. She does swim with stingrays. That was not a joke or anything in an offensive way. Here's a german article on it, and here's an English one. I remember it because I thought it was a very bold move on her side to do it.

And yes, I did like "Crocodile Hunter" too. I enjoyed it a lot. But Bindi still looks a bit creepy.

Wow...What a brave kid... :o