Robert Irwin was left embarrassed during a wild interview on The Project on Tuesday night. 

The 20-year-old appeared in a live interview while cradling a koala, with comedian Dave Hughes quick to quiz him on whether koalas get ‘high’ from eating eucalyptus leaves all day. 

‘She looks relaxed? And is that because she’s high right now? Are koalas high most of their lives?’ he asked. 

A laughing Robert replied: ‘That’s a good question there, Hughesy. Technically, koalas are not high. They are very chill, though. Very, very chill. 

‘And the reason for that is because eucalyptus leaves don’t really give you a big hit of protein, you know? It’s not like hooking into a protein shake, so their energy levels are pretty low. 

‘They sleep 20 hours a day and they’re cruising, you know? Cruising through life.’

Dave’s co-star Kate Langbroek then compared Dave to a koala, joking that he has chlamydia – an STD common in koalas. 

‘I’ve never had chlamydia. As far as I know’ Dave argued, with Robert left blushing. 

Robert Irwin (pictured) was left embarrassed during a wild interview on The Project on Tuesday night

‘That’s not where I saw this conversation going, but here we are’ the giggling Wildlife Warrior said. 

It comes after Robert revealed his next career move, just one month after nabbing a milestone nomination for the prestigious Gold Logie.

On Wednesday, the celebrity conservationist was announced as host of this year’s upcoming TikTok Australia Awards, which celebrates the country’s hottest social media influencers.

PR agency Adhesive confirmed the news on Instagram by sharing of a photo of a beaming Robert holding a TikTok statuette while posing with a stone crocodile at Australia Zoo.

The 20-year-old appeared in a live interview while cradling a koala, with comedian Dave Hughes (left) quick to quiz him on whether koalas get ‘high’ from eating eucalyptus leaves 

Dave’s co-star Kate Langbroek then compared Dave to a koala, joking that he has chlamydia – an STD common in koalas. ‘I’ve never had chlamydia. As far as I know’ Dave argued, with Robert left blushing

‘In among the crocodiles, TikTok and Adhesive visited Australia Zoo today to announce Robert Irwin as the host of this year’s TikTok Awards,’ they wrote.

‘Taking place at Sydney’s iconic Hordern Pavilion, TikTok’s night of nights will bring together the most-watched creators, the biggest viral trends, and the most talked-about TikTok moments from 2024. 

‘We can’t wait to see Robert take centre stage as host of the awards.’

The ceremony will be held in Sydney on Wednesday, 27 November, and will crown popular influencers with awards such as Creator of the Year.

Robert shared his delight at his new gig in a statement, saying: ‘As host of this year’s TikTok Awards, I’m excited to celebrate Aussie creators and businesses who are leading the charge on TikTok, all while having serious fun on stage.’

TikTok has also partnered with Irwin’s conservation charity Wildlife Warriors as the official partner for the prestigious ceremony.

‘That’s not where I saw this conversation going, but here we are’ the Wildlife Warrior said

‘It has become a crucial platform for me to share my message and my life at Australia Zoo. So grateful I get to showcase our conservation efforts and behind-the-scenes action with over 7.5 million followers,’ they said.

In December last year, Australian social media star Indy Clinton was crowned the nation’s most loved influencer at the TikTok Australia Awards.

Robert’s move comes after it was reported he is raking in the big bucks after signing several lucrative presenting gigs, each paying hundreds of thousands of dollars and has signed on for several well-paid presenting roles.

He is one of Australia’s most in-demand talents and currently hosts Channel Ten’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Australia and fronts a QLD tourism campaign.

As well as his TV success, he is also moving more into advertising and earned $200,000 to appear in a minute-long Twisties commercial, as well as a similar pay check to appear in a Queensland tourism campaign alongside Bluey.

He also filled in this week for host Tom Gleisner on the Channel Ten comedic game show Have You Been Paying Attention?, which makes it Robert’s third television gig since the Logies.