Steve’s death hard to believe , says Terri

Steve Irwin’s widow, Terri, has broken her public silence about the death of her soulmate, saying she cannot shake the idea that he will return home from one of his adventures.

In a TV interview to be shown tonight, she tells of the bond she had with Steve, who died from a stingray barb to the chest while diving off the far north Queensland coast on September 4.

“There never has been before and never will be again another Steve Irwin,” she says. “Every day he was my prince charming.”

Close family friend and manager John Stainton told her the man known as the Crocodile Hunter had died.

“He said, ‘there’s been a diving accident with Steve — (I thought) ‘Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it’ — and he said it. He said those three words. ‘And he died’,” she said. “I’m still at the stage where I think he’s going to come home. And it didn’t really happen.”

She has found it hard to cope but was lucky to have got such support.

“I walked into the Crocoseum and I knew people would be missing Steve but the feelings of love and support from Australians was just overwhelming,” she said. “He (Steve) would have said, ‘Crikey, mate, I can’t believe this’.”

US TV news queen Barbara Walters, who interviewed Terri for a US TV special, said she spoke of her continuing bond with her husband.

Their children, Bindi, 8, and Bob, 2, were not in either interview.

Bindi stole hearts last week with her eulogy at her father’s memorial ceremony in which she said she would continue her daddy’s work.

Mr Stainton said yesterday Steve always had known that he would become his daughter’s co-star as her fame eclipsed his. Bindi’s television show is due to screen next year.

Her fame would “explode”, he said.