Who Is Chandler Powell? Everything You Want To Know About Bindi Irwin's Husband
The couple have been dating for six years.
Getty Images When Steve Irwin died in 2006, the world mourned his passing, followed by an outpouring of support for his family and legacy. In the 13 years since his unfortunate and accidental death, his children, Bindi Sue and Robert, have continued their father’s conservation work, along with his wife, Terri Irwin.
The Irwins are a tight-knit family, and they are now welcoming Bindi’s (new) fiance into their group. That’s right, Bindi Irwin is engaged! But who is Chandler Powell, her husband? The duo have been together for quite some time, and the way he popped the question is magical. They were recently married at the Australia Zoo, amid the coronavirus pandemic, with no guests on hand.
Here are 7 things to know about Powell, including his career, his relationship with Bindi, and how their engagement would have made Steve incredibly proud and happy.
1. Who is Chandler Powell? He’s American.
Powell is originally from Seffner, Florida. He attended the University of Central Florida and majored in marketing. However, he has since relocated to Australia.
2. He’s a former professional wakeborder.
Powell began competing professionally when he was 15 years old, earning sponsorships that let him travel all over the world. He hasn’t competed since 2016, but he’s still a huge fan of playing extreme sports. He apparently loves surfing and diving off of waterfalls, as well as skateboarding, which he’s been doing since he was young.
3. He now works in Australia.
Along with Bindi, he works at the Australia Zoo in Queensland. He’s also a member of the Wildlife Warriors program, founded by Terri and Steve in 2002.
4. They met during a tour.
In 2013, Powell traveled to Australia, where he met Bindi at Australia Zoo. Bindi was his tour guide, and they exchanged emails, beginning a long-distance relationship. Even more incredible? Steve and Terri also met at Australia Zoo when Terri was a tourist!
In an interview, Powell recalled the day he met his soon-to-be wife, saying, “It just so happened that Bindi was giving tours that day. I’m like, ‘Wow she is amazing...’ [We] hit it off right away... We haven’t looked back since.”
5. The proposal was extra-special and included her family.
For the proposal, Powell organized a photoshoot at the zoo, where the family was celebrating Bindi’s 21st birthday. Yes, he proposed on her birthday. How romantic! He recalled to People, “Just before we started the shoot, I took her to a special part of Australia Zoo to ask the girl of my dreams to become my wife. These past five years together have been the best of my life and we look forward to a lifetime of magical moments to come.”
The couple both posted photos of the proposal on their Instagrams and Robert, Bindi’s younger brother, was there to capture the magic. Bindi wrote on her post, “The most beautiful surprise. Chandler and Robert worked together to capture the moment I said ‘YES’. We were in the gardens of Australia Zoo and it was beyond perfect. I never even knew Robert was there photographing and I’ll always be grateful to have these special memories of the most amazing day of my life.”
Robert also shared his own post, writing an adorably sweet message to Bindi. “I’ve photographed some pretty cool stuff in my time ... nothing comes close to this. I was so happy and thankful that @chandlerpowell asked me to secretively document the moment that @bindisueirwin said yes! One of the most special times ever,” he wrote.
Bindi said, “I am overjoyed to be sharing the news that Chandler and I are engaged! This has been the most special day celebrating my 21st birthday. I’ve met my soulmate and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with Chandler. We’ve been together for nearly 6 years now and he’s my happily ever after.”
6. The couple are absolutely smitten with one another.
In 2017, Bindi opened up about her relationship with Powell, saying she is “very lucky” to share her life with him. She also revealed that the two share many of the same values:
“Chandler is the most lovely guy on the planet and I feel very blessed that I found someone who shares my passions in life: wildlife conservation and nature. He’s just always there for me. My family loves him too, which is terrific. And it’s wonderful to find somebody who really will be there no matter what.
Chandler is endlessly patient. I think that sometimes, I’m like my dad [Steve Irwin] where I’m not a very patient person, I just want to do everything right now. And Chandler has unending amounts of patience. I learn a lot from him. He’s always so kind. I’m really lucky to have found Chandler.”
7. He has the family’s blessing.
After the proposal, Terri tweeted her congratulations to Bindi and Chandler, adding how proud Steve would have been of this milestone.
8. She announced their wedding on Instagram.
Congrats to the happy couple!
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.