Robert Irwin has shocked fans after failing to pay for his meal at a popular restaurant in Coffs Harbour.

The conservationist, 21, shared his embarrassment over his dine and dash experience after visiting The Jetty Pavilion over the weekend.

Robert ordered a takeaway salad at the eatery after stopping in Coffs Harbour but he quickly became distracted by fans wanting selfies.

In a video shared on social media, he explained, ‘I went in there, and many people spotted me and wanted a photo, but it turned into a bit of a frenzy.’

‘They got the salad done super fast and I made sure I said hi to absolutely everyone.

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Robert Irwin has shocked fans after failing to pay for his meal at a popular restaurant in Coffs Harbour

‘Then the next morning I wake up and realise, I never paid for my salad. I just did the old dine and dash and didn’t even realise. I felt terrible.’

Robert said he contacted the establishment and apologised before offering to pay the bill over the phone.

‘They said, “Don’t worry, just leave us a good review.” Go and support the Jetty Pavilion. They are the absolute best,’ he said.

‘I apologise again. Today is not the day I start my life of crime, as much as the tabloids would love that, it’s not happening.’

It comes after fans went into a meltdown last month after wild, fake images featuring Robert and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes emerged.

The pair became bizarrely romantically linked thanks to a slew of AI-generated posts and clickbait headlines suggesting they are secretly dating.

And while there’s no truth to the romance rumours, thousands of fans have been swooning over the unexpected pairing.

Daily Mail Australia has learned that fans have started writing letters and love notes by hand to Australia Zoo, expressing their support for the fake relationship.

The conservationist, 21, shared his embarrassment over his dine and dash experience after visiting The Jetty Pavilion over the weekend

It comes after fans went into a meltdown last month after wild, fake images featuring Robert and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes emerged 

Sources close to the Irwin family revealed the volume of mail has noticeably increased, with many notes coming from fans within the LGBTQI+ community who have long embraced Robert as a heartthrob and ally.

The strange pairing all started when the Treat You Better hitmaker teamed up with Robert and Oscar-winner, Javier Bardem, to promote the animated film Lyle, Lyle Crocodile back in 2022.

In the video, Robert quizzed the pair on crocodile trivia, sharing his passion for reptiles with his signature enthusiasm.

The clip, seemingly innocuous, was enough to send the internet into matchmaking mode.

The fake headline on the image reads: ‘He didn’t say a word, but one quiet gesture from Shawn Mendes to Robert Irwin is breaking the internet – and fans think it means everything’.

Another shows a collage of images – the first of Shawn bearing his torso as he reclines on a couch, coupled with another showing Shawn and Robert embracing, and a third of a smiling solo Robert.

The headline on the fake image reads: ‘Shawn Mendes and Robert Irwin just shared a moment so low-key, it broke the internet’.