Prince William left Robert Irwin hiding his face in Graham Norton's famous red sofa after delivering a cheeky joke about the Australian conservationist's underwear modelling campaign.

The Prince of Wales, 44, joined Irwin, Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham for a special Earthshot Prize edition of The Graham Norton Show, broadcast on 23 October 2026. But the environmental discussion took an unexpected turn when Norton brought out photographs from Irwin's revealing Bonds campaign.

The pictures showed the 22-year-old wildlife advocate posing in his underwear alongside snakes and other Australian animals. Sitting beside the future king, Irwin appeared increasingly uncomfortable as the images appeared on screen.

"I can't believe I'm looking at this with Prince William," Irwin admitted, while his fellow guests enjoyed the moment.

Things became even more awkward when the conversation moved from a photograph featuring a python to another showing Irwin with a huntsman spider.

William, apparently unwilling to let the earlier photograph go, delivered the evening's most memorable line: "I'm still thinking about your python."

The double entendre prompted laughter from the audience and fellow guests, while Irwin folded forward and buried his face in the sofa. The exchange was also reported by Australian publication The Nightly.

Why Robert Irwin posed with snakes in his underwear

Behind the joke was a genuine attempt by Irwin to connect an unusual modelling opportunity with his conservation work.

The photographs came from Bonds' Made for Down Under campaign, launched on 3 April 2025 to introduce the Australian underwear brand to the United States. The advertisements featured Irwin and musician Tkay Maidza alongside real Australian wildlife.

According to the brand's original launch announcement, the campaign used Australia's reputation for dangerous animals to promote its underwear with a distinctly Australian sense of humour.

Irwin, however, explained during the television appearance that he also wanted to introduce wildlife conservation to people who might not ordinarily engage with the subject.

That distinction matters. The Bonds campaign was a commercial advertising initiative, rather than an Earthshot conservation project. Irwin's argument was that putting animals in an unexpected setting could attract attention from a different audience.

For anyone wanting to revisit the awkward exchange, the BBC has released an official clip of Norton showing Irwin's photographs.

Why Prince William and Robert Irwin were on the same sofa

The two already share an established professional connection through the Earthshot Prize, William's environmental initiative supporting projects designed to tackle major challenges facing the planet.

Irwin was appointed one of Earthshot's first global ambassadors in September 2024, alongside actress Nomzamo Mbatha. His role involves helping to bring attention to environmental solutions and the people developing them.

The television appearance came ahead of the 2026 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, scheduled for 17 November in Mumbai, India, where Irwin is also expected to participate.

So while Irwin had a serious conservation message to deliver, William's unexpected punchline ensured that, for a few moments at least, the spotlight belonged firmly to the python.