STEVE IRWIN - IRWIN'S MANAGER: 'BINDI'S NOT BEING FORCED INTO THE SPOTLIGHT'

The manager of late CROCODILE HUNTER star STEVE IRWIN denies his daughter BINDI is being pushed into an unwanted TV career. JOHN STAINTON, who manages the entire Irwin family, insists the eight-year-old is allowed to turn down any TV appearance she doesn't want to do. Later this week (begs08JAN07) Bindi will appear on several US talk shows and attend a gala dinner with Hollywood stars including RUSSELL CROWE and NAOMI WATTS to promote her TV series BINDI, THE JUNGLE GIRL. Stainton insists, "My criteria is if Bindi doesn't want to do it that day, if she wants to go to the zoo or the beach, then that's what we're doing." However, he admits the constant reminders of her dad, who died in September 2006 when a stingray barb pierced his heart, might take its toll on Bindi, saying, "You can't keep reliving it, reliving it, without it hurting."