Prince William Roasts Robert Irwin with 'Python' Joke on Graham Norton Show
The Prince of Wales and the conservationist shared a lighthearted exchange during a television appearance, touching on Irwin's underwear ad and a crocodile named after William.
Prince William's recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show led to an amusing moment with Australian conservationist Robert Irwin, culminating in a cheeky joke about Irwin's physique.
During the show, the conversation turned to a racy underwear advertisement featuring Irwin. Images from the shoot, where a then 22-year-old Irwin posed in briefs with snakes and spiders, were displayed. Prince William, 44, visibly reacted to the images, prompting a flustered Irwin to explain the ad's conservationist angle.
"It was an underwear commercial, obviously, but I wanted to kind of create a conservation element to it," Irwin said. "I believe in bringing the message to an audience that might not ordinarily be in that world."
As the discussion focused on a large huntsman spider featured in the advertisement, Prince William made a playful quip. "I'm still thinking about your python," William joked, causing Irwin to erupt in laughter and hide his face in the couch.
The friendly banter continued when Irwin revealed he had named a 12-foot-long saltwater crocodile after the Prince of Wales. "We recently caught this beautiful 12-foot unit of a croc!" Irwin exclaimed, describing the animal's powerful nature. "He was beautiful, death-rolling, he had teeth like this, he came out swinging, he was just amazing!" Irwin then announced, "It is Prince William the crocodile!"
Prince William, however, playfully rejected the namesake, suggesting the reptile should have been named after someone else. "It should have been named after The Rock... it shouldn't be me!" he quipped.
Irwin had previously shared details about the crocodile naming on social media in September, stating, "Meet 'Prince William,' a 12-foot 6-inch saltwater crocodile and the 300th crocodile tagged through our world-leading research project on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve."
Prince William and Robert Irwin have known each other for years and have collaborated on conservation initiatives. In September of the previous year, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, sent a congratulatory message to Irwin after he won Dancing with the Stars US. Irwin, who serves as an ambassador for Prince William's Earthshot Prize, shared a clip of the grand finale on Instagram, accompanied by a comment from the royal couple's official account: "Congratulations Robert and Witney!" followed by a disco ball emoji.