Bindi Irwin with boyfriend Chandler Powell. Photo: Getty Images
Bindi Irwin's "superhero" dad died when she was just eight-years-old.
The 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin was 44 when he was killed by a stingray while filming a documentary in the Great Barrier Reef.
The grief of losing him, caused a young Bindi to be terrified of also losing her mum, Terri and younger brother, Robert, she has revealed.
Bindi Irwin on the cover of The Australian Women's Weekly.
"It was really bad when I was younger, now I just have this sense that I want to protect them, so it's always 'be safe' and 'I love you'," the 17-year-old tells The Australian Women's Weekly in the magazine's latest edition.
"When your superhero dies, that's really scary," said Irwin, who is the cover model for the magazine's January issue. "The strongest person has been taken away, so what about everyone else?"
The teenager, who recently captured hearts around the world and won the US version of Dancing with the Stars, said being on the show helped her to grow up.
"It changed my life because I was able to close those chapters that I'd never really been able to close before," said Irwin, who dedicated several dance routines to her late father.
"It really gave me an opportunity to say, 'Okay, I can be at peace with it, and I'm okay'."
In the interview, Irwin also opened up about her boyfriend, 19-year-old professional wakeboarder, Chandler Powell.
She has known Powell for two years and says her mum approves of the match.
"My mum has always described him as an old-fashioned gentleman," Bindi says. "He's always there to keep me going. He's a sweet, sweet person.
"He's the first person I've met who understands my life – the travel and the work and that real dedication and determination. I think that's why I love him so much – because he gets my world."
Fairfax Media
