Robert Irwin threatens legal action over Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain cartoon

Robert Irwin is threatening to sue One Nation's Pauline Hanson over a cartoon using his image. Photos / Pauline Hanson's Please Explain, Getty Images

Robert Irwin is threatening to sue Australian politician Pauline Hanson over an episode of her Please Explain series of cartoons featuring his image.

Lawyers for the son of the late Steve Irwin claim the video, which depicts the conservationist promoting Queensland tourism alongside iconic cartoon character Bluey, is defamatory.

They have sent a cease and desist letter to StepMates Studios, the production team who created the cartoon, according to Sky News Australia.

A new episode of Pauline Hanson's Please Explain features Robert Irwin and Bluey. Photo / Pauline Hanson's Please Explain

The letter reads, “You are potentially liable to our client in respect of defamation, deceptive use of a person’s image, passing off and misleading and deceptive conduct ... we will commence legal action against you if you do not take down the video immediately.”

However, the controversial One Nation party leader has since responded via her lawyer, saying, “I will not be removing the latest episode of Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain.

“I look forward to the day when Robert and I can have a good laugh over this and turn our focus to making Queensland a better state.”

Hanson then told the Sunday Mail that Irwin should “lighten up”.

Australian senator Pauline Hanson has said Robert Irwin should "lighten up".

“Your father Steve, he was a larrikin, he had a laugh, he could take the mickey out of himself and you’re complaining about this,” she told the outlet, adding that the clip wasn’t about Irwin, but about the problems with the state of Queensland.

“I’ve got members of Parliament asking me when they get to be in the cartoon, we have people pay to get in it, so I’ve given him a free kick,” she claimed.

The video depicts Bluey getting attacked by "delinquents". Photo / Pauline Hanson's Please Explain

The video depicts Irwin and Bluey attempting to experience the best of Queensland, known as the “Sunshine State” - until they’re evicted from a local beach and their car is stolen by “delinquents”, who then attack Bluey, only to discover that they have to wait six months for medical care.

Elsewhere during the episode, the duo join a line they think is for Movie World, only to discover they’re actually lining up with several other people for a less than desirable rental home.

Robert Irwin and Bluey join a queue they think is for Movie World, only to find it's actually for a derelict rental home. Photo / Pauline Hanson's Please Explain

The caricature of Irwin concludes at the end of the episode, “I can’t believe this is the state of Queensland.”

At the time of writing, the YouTube video had not been removed.