Little Bob Irwin left on the bench
BINDI Irwin has taken the showbiz world by storm but little brother Bob will be taking a back seat -- for now.
"There are no plans for Bob at the moment," manager and family friend John Stainton said.
He said the focus for the moment was on Bindi's international TV career, including the hit series Bindi the Jungle Girl, now being watched by record numbers in the US and Australia.
It is almost a year since Steve Irwin died filming stingrays in North Queensland.
But public interest in the Crocodile Hunter's family is as strong as ever.
Mr Stainton said Bob would stay in the background, except for December when he would be the star attraction at his fourth birthday party at the Irwins' Australia Zoo, on the Sunshine Coast.
The zoo is heavily promoting the event with posters featuring the little boy and his late father.

"Crikey! Our little man is turning four," the zoo proclaims on its website.

Bindi will present a special TV tribute to her father on Channel 9 on Saturday, entitled My Daddy the Crocodile Hunter.

Her current show includes extensive footage of her late father, which has attracted some criticism.

Mr Stainton yesterday dismissed the concerns.

"It's like asking should Blankety Blanks be taken off air because Graham Kennedy died," he said.

"And should we stop seeing Elvis Presley movies because he died 30 years ago?"

Mr Stainton said the September 4 anniversary of Irwin's death would be a quiet family affair.

"We don't want to be involved in looking back on a sad event. We want to move forward," he said.

"So we're shifting the focus to November 15, which is a celebration of Steve's life."