Robert Irwin Chokes Up Seeing Wax Figure of Late Dad Steve: ‘First Time in a Long Time He’s Not Just a Picture’

Robert Irwin has been immortalized as a Madame Tussauds wax figure, and the unveiling was made all the more special thanks to its placement next to his late dad, Steve Irwin.

Robert, 20, was overcome with emotion on Thursday, Nov. 28 in Sydney, Australia, when he caught a glimpse of dad Steve’s wax figure for the first time.

“That is amazing. It’s the first time in a long time that he’s not just a picture,” Robert said as he choked back tears. The young star then shook his head, took a deep breath and walked away to collect himself, according to video shared by News.com.au.

Robert is a conservationist and zookeeper just like his father, who was killed by a stingray at age 44 when Robert was just 2 years old in 2006. Steve and his wife Terri owned the Australia Zoo, where Robert and his sister Bindi, 26, now work.

“This is one of the most surreal moments of my entire life. This is just incredible,” Robert told the Australian morning show Sunrise of receiving his wax figure, in which he’s holding a snake. “I just keep looking at every little bit going, ‘It’s me! It is me!’ I don’t know if the world is ready for two of me.”

The star called the honor “really special” and noted that he was especially struck by his statue’s placement next to his father’s, which was built in 2015.

“It was the first time I’d ever gotten to see my dad’s wax figure. I’d seen pictures of it, but I’d never seen it in real life,” he said. “I was overcome with emotion. And I didn’t think that was gonna happen, but I was actually quite emotional seeing it. Dad, for the last 17 years of my life, has been pictures and video, and to actually see him kind of just standing there, it was a lot. It was actually a lot to take in.”

At that point, Robert appeared to once again choke back tears but pulled himself together.

“It was very emotional,” he said. “But you know what? My life’s about continuing his legacy, so the fact that I get to be there with him now means a lot. I’m truly so grateful.”

Robert is the youngest Australian celebrity to be featured in Madame Tussauds Sydney, according to Sunrise.

He and his family have dedicated their lives to carrying out Steve’s legacy and starred together in the Animal Planet series Crikey! It’s the Irwins. In September, Robert was named a global ambassador for Prince William’s Earshot Prize, an initiative that seeks solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.