Conan O'Brien once invited Steve Irwin to his show and insulted him to his face: "You're an idiot..."
Concon O'Brien once made a rude remark about a beloved late celebrity. Known for his quick wit and self-deprecating humor, O'Brien has mostly received love for his talk show. However, one resurfaced video, was in poor taste. Perhaps it is only that his guest maintained his composure that O'Brien didn't get any heat over his exchange.
The celebrity in question was Australian zookeeper and conservationist, Steve Irwin, who made waves with his documentary 'The Crocodile Hunter.' In 1997, Steve appeared on O'Brien's talk show with his wife, Terri Irwin. The couple brought with them, a rare turtle species, which Steve had discovered and later named Elseya Irwin. As per The Things, the conversation soon took a humorous turn when he revealed the turtle’s unusual defense mechanism— 'projectile urination'. O'Brien couldn't resist making jokes as Steve playfully pointed the turtle at him, much to the audience’s amusement.
O'Brien joked, "I have had other guests that do that." However, the real chaos began when Steve and Terri brought out a massive Burmese python. As the snake slithered onto O'Brien’s desk and began coiling around his rib cage, the host hilariously reacted, repeatedly exclaiming, "Oh god!" The real tension, however, came when Steve and Terri introduced their final guest— a crocodile.
Given Steve's crocodile hunter reputation, the choice was fitting, but O'Brien couldn't help but voice concern. Watching the Irwins rush backstage to retrieve the reptile, he humorously questioned whether he was in real danger, setting the stage for an unpredictable and chaotic conclusion to the segment. O'Brien, still wrapped by the Burmese python, asked a series of rhetorical questions to ease his nerves. He said, "Should a snake be wrapped around me when a crocodile comes out? Isn't that really dumb? Wouldn't the snake panic, and...?"
O'Brien's concerns were understandable, but it wasn’t the reptile that ultimately led him to insult Steve. As Steve wrangled the crocodile alone, O'Brien couldn't help but comment on the chaotic scene, jokingly exclaiming, "You have, you know what, you have shockingly little control over that animal. You are an idiot!" He subsequently burst into laughter, making it clear that his words were meant in jest. That wasn't the last we saw of Steve on the 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien.' The talk show host welcomed the animal expert back many times thereafter.
Steve continued to create major headlines for his work but sadly, in September 2006, the environmentalist met his tragic end when he got stung in the chest by a bull stingray while filming for 'Ocean’s Deadliest' near the Great Barrier Reef, as reported by Britannica. The injury was severe and led to cardiac arrest. Invincible Steve, who wrestled with crocodiles, was pronounced dead less than an hour later.