NEED TO KNOW
Bindi Irwin is struggling with her younger brother Robert Irwin’s foray into the thirst trap world.
The 21-year-old wildlife conservationist has been turning heads in recent months, thanks to his shirtless underwear campaign with Bonds in April, and his affinity for ditching his shirt as he promotes his upcoming gig as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
“Wow. I will say there are some things as his sister that I can’t just unsee,” Bindi, 26, quipped of Robert’s new sex symbol status during a June 5 interview on the Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce podcast. “Because when he did the Dancing announcement, he was also just shirtless, and he recently did his, like, Bonds commercial where he was just in his underwear, and it is, it is rough.”
Bonds
Bindi noted that she really wants to “be supportive,” adding, “I really am so proud of him. You know? He’s taking the message of conservation to new heights.”
Ultimately, she knows that her brother is working for the greater good.
“We have a charity called Wildlife Warriors, and watching him grab people’s attention in such a big way and then pivot and say, ‘Here’s what we do. Here’s our work. Here’s our dedication to wildlife and conservation, and you can get involved.’ It is wonderful and extraordinary to watch him just shine,” Bindi said.
Bonds
As for the increased attention, Bindi admitted that it does occasionally concern her.
“We’re about five and a half years apart, so I kinda feel like his second mom where I’m kind of a mother hen,” she explained. “I’m, like, always trying to protect him, make sure he’s okay, and I have been that way his whole life.”
She added that her brother’s admirers have been aggressive in their approaches.
“Do I get a little bit scared of the women and girls and some guys that kind of are very intense? It’s a lot,” she admitted. “It can be a lot, but he’s doing really well with all of it, and I am very proud of him.”
Bindi, who works with her brother at the Australia Zoo, added, “Just watching him shine and flourish and find his own path and voice is so inspiring.”
Bindi Irwin Instagram
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
During a Today show appearance last month, Robert revealed his family’s reaction to his racy campaign.
At the time, he joked that his family “had a lot of words” about his Bonds shoot. “They were like, ‘Wow, there’s some things we can’t unsee,'” he joked.
As for his own response to the newfound attention, Robert told PEOPLE at the Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas on May 10, “Oh my gosh. The DMs are a dangerous place right now. I have been giving the DMs a wide berth.”
And when it comes to his intention behind the new campaign, Robert added, “I just try and put out a bit of positivity into the world, and I do want to reach as many people as I can. And interestingly enough, my whole life, I’ve reached people in my khakis, and I never would’ve thought that I would reach even more people out of my khakis, out of the uniform.”
