Robert Irwin has joked that being shown images of himself posing in underwear with a python as he sat alongside Prince William was “quite a shock”, as he prepared to welcome the future King to Mumbai.

Asked whether he had recovered from chat show host Graham Norton sharing his modelling shots with a TV audience and guests including Prince William and actors Hannah Waddingham and Cate Blanchett, Robert replied: “That was quite a shock to me, and I think the entire couch!”

The Earthshot Prize ambassador and conservationist appeared on the chat show last month to promote this week’s awards ceremony in India.

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“Hannah Waddingham and I had a very good laugh after that,” he said. “I feel like that whole experience was such a great opportunity to show wildlife conservation in a very different light, and I feel like that underwear commercial was doing the same thing, right? It’s a way to bring wildlife conservation into a conversation where maybe it wasn’t ordinarily being had.

“But also I think one of my biggest takeaways from that entire experience is Prince William’s sense of humour. He is so sharp. I laughed so much and just had the best time, but I have not recovered.. that was not on my bingo card. Seeing those photos with His Royal Highness was not on my bingo card.”

Robert also revealed how a crocodile named after Prince William has stunned conservationists by making one of the longest sea voyages they have ever seen.

Robert, son of the legendary conservationist Steve Irwin, revealed he had given the 12-foot-long animal a royal namesake in September, after tracking the creature as part of a major study into how predators benefit an ecosystem.

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Speaking ahead of the Prince’s arrival in Mumbai, Robert said: “This beautiful big boy, he was about 12 foot long, and I let His Royal Highness Prince William know on the Graham Norton show. I’m like, mate, I named a crocodile after you, and since then, this bloke’s a traveller.

“He’s a world traveler. This is one of the longest sea voyages we have ever seen from a crocodile. He traveled hundreds of kilometers north, all the way up the tip of Cape York, the very tip of Australia, all the way off to a place called Crab Island, where he’s currently feasting on crabs and sea turtles. 

“I think it’s very fitting that Prince William’s crocodile travels a lot. He travels for work.”

Speaking about William’s work with the Earthshot Prize, Robert added: “I think he brings an immense amount of passion. He has a real investment in these issues. He really walks the walk, and I think that’s what we need. We need environmental leaders who are going to get in there, do the work, and also amplify that to a really big platform, and he’s doing both of those things very, very well.

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“My generation has grown up knowing the very present dangers. We’re very crystal clear on how much is at stake. That’s for sure. Sometimes that can feel very overwhelming, but it’s important to remember the future is not decided. The future is up to us. I think that’s what really draws me to the Earthshot Prize and to see Prince William’s leadership in bringing people together, creating a real movement, it’s inspiring, and I and we are all so incredibly privileged to work with him and with this amazing team to be part of it.