Robert Irwin praises mother Terri for handling his father Steve Irwin's death with 'such grace'

Robert Irwin says his mother "picked up the pieces with such grace" after Steve Irwin died.

The Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) contestant, now 21, was just two years old when the Crocodile Hunter icon died aged 44 in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray, and he has recalled how his mother Terri kept the family together.

He told People magazine: "We’ve been together through thick and thin and really have each other’s backs. The biggest guiding light in my life is my mom.

"She is just the bravest, most steadfast, determined human being I’ve ever met. To me, she is the epitome of a great leader, a great mother, a hero.

"She built this life with my dad, and she had the rug pulled out from under her, but was able to pick up the pieces with such grace and still be there for my