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"It's Sad"Bindi Irwin Talks Celebrating Her 18th Birthday Without Late Dad Steve Irwin

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Jul 28, 2016 10:47 am·

By Julia Birkinbine

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For Bindi Irwin, celebrating her 18th birthday was a bittersweet occasion.

In a candid new interview, the former Dancing With the Stars winner — who turned 18-years-old on July 24 — opened up about ringing in her special day without her late dad, Steve Irwin.

Bindi with her dad, Steve, in October 2005. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

“It’s sad because you want him to be right next to you and experiencing all these milestones, but I truly believe that, in some way, he is still with us,” Bindi told Entertainment Tonight.

MUST SEE: Is Bindi Irwin Marrying Her Boyfriend Chandler Powell? Get the Surprising Details!

“I can feel that he’s not here anymore on most of the days that are really big for our family. On days like birthdays, Christmases, it’s really a tough time because he’s not here,” she continued.

Click through the gallery below to see more of Bindi’s cutest photos with her dad, Steve!

1 of 14

December 2002

Steve and Terri Irwin welcomed their first child, daughter Bindi, in July 1998.

2 of 14

June 2002

The beloved couple previously tied the knot in 1992, six years before Bindi was born.

3 of 14

June 2005

Steve once said his daughter Bindi's name is an Australian Aboriginal word that means "young girl."

4 of 14

June 2002

Bindi began appearing on TV with her famous parents at the early age of two — so cute!

5 of 14

November 2003

"I know that I am endlessly grateful for the love and light I have been given since Day 1 of my life," Bindi once said of her upbringing.

6 of 14

December 2005

In December 2003, Terri and Steve welcomed their second child, son Robert Irwin.

7 of 14

January 2004

When Robert was just three years old, his dad, Steve, tragically died at age 44 in September 2006.

8 of 14

July 1999

"You'll be my hero for my entire existence. I love you more than words can describe," Bindi wrote via Instagram on the 10-year anniversary of her dad's death in 2016.

9 of 14

June 2005

On her 18th birthday in July 2016, Bindi sweetly remembered her late dad in an interview. "It's sad because you want him to be right next to you and experiencing all these milestones, but I truly believe that, in some way, he is still with us," she said.

10 of 14

Late 1990s

"I can feel that he's not here anymore on most of the days that are really big for our family. On days like birthdays, Christmases, it's really a tough time because he's not here," Bindi continued.

11 of 14

October 2005

"I feel closest to my dad when I’m with my family. I think that as a family we try to make sure that his legacy continues. I really hope that Dad would be proud," Bindi once said of her father.

12 of 14

September 2002

In a recent interview, Terri heartbreakingly revealed she and Steve hoped to have more children before The Crocodile Hunter's untimely passing.

13 of 14

Late 1990s

"I said to Steve, ‘Let's have a third.' And he said, ‘You have a girl and you have a boy. What are you hoping for?'" she recalled.

14 of 14

Late 1990s

Terri has also opened up about not dating since Steve's death. "Just because I feel a connection still with Steve," she explained. "I really don't think I would have married if I hadn't met Steve. And he's very special to me and continues to be. And I've got beautiful kids and a lot of wonderful conservation work. So I'm lonely for Steve, but I'm not a lonely person."