Robert Irwin eats durian: ‘The smell is confronting’
He may be brave enough to wrangle crocodiles, snakes and rhinos, but Australian wildlife conservationist and TV personality Robert Irwin met his match in Singapore when he tried durian.
The 20-year-old, who is the son of late wildlife educator Steve Irwin, is in town with his mother Terri and his older sister Bindi on vacation. Steve Irwin died in 2006 at the age of 44 after suffering a fatal injury caused by a stingray.
Robert Irwin, who has followed in his father’s footsteps, is a wildlife conservationist and educator who works at the Australia Zoo.
He also appeared in the Australian reality TV show Crikey! It’s The Irwins (2018 to 2022) with his mother and sister.
While in Singapore, the younger Irwin decided to try durian, an experience captured in an Instagram post on July 17.
In the video taken at Durian 36 stall in Geylang, Irwin looked apprehensive as he addressed the audience.
“I’m in Singapore and I’m going to try the famous durian,” he said and picked up an unopened durian. “One of these guys. It’s like the most polarising fruit in the world.”
Irwin received a pair of plastic gloves in preparation for his meal, but said he was unsure whether that was a “good sign” for what is to come. As he held up the durian, he said: “Everyone either says it’s great or it’s literally the worst thing they’ve ever eaten.”
He took a sniff of the fruit and explained to his 5.9 million followers that durian is not allowed on public transport in Singapore due to its smell. “I just can’t get past the smell of it,” he said nervously before finally taking his first bite.
Irwin started coughing soon after eating it. He seemed overwhelmed by both the taste and smell of the fruit, with his face scrunching up in discomfort.
Still, he said: “It’s good, it’s good. It’s actually not bad, I like it.”
His mother Terri uploaded a video of herself with her two children sightseeing in Singapore. They went to Gardens by the Bay, the National Orchid Garden and checked out the elephants and monkeys at the Singapore Zoo.
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