'Totally in love': Terri Irwin addresses romance with Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe and Terri Irwin pictured together in 2007. Photo / Getty Images

Terri Irwin has spoken out about her rumoured romance with Kiwi actor Russell Crowe, saying "I am desperately and totally in love".

It's just a shame she was only kidding.

Irwin and Crowe have been linked by rumours since the middle of last year, and appearing on Australia's Sunday Project, the mother of two saw only one way to address them - with humour.

She joked: "I am in love with him, I have to admit it", and continued to joke about their relationship throughout the show, including saying she would be calling him right after the show to let him know what he'd missed.

Eventually though, she did discuss her friendship with the Hollywood star seriously, saying she did love him, but as a good friend.

"I do love Russell. I do really, really think the world of him," she said.

"He loves wildlife, he is very considerate about helping what we are doing and is a good guy."

The pair have remained close friends for years, following the death of Irwin's late husband Steve, in 2006.

Crowe was a good friend of Steve's, and has regularly spoken of his relationship with the family in the past.

"I was great friends with Steve and his wife and his kids are really important to me. They're beautiful people," he told Newscorp.

"Terri is one of the greatest women I've ever met in my life, without there being implication of intimacy or whatever.

"You know I do love Terri Irwin, I love her kids and I love how she's kept the memory of Steve alive, and respected the work that the two of them had begun and she's an absolute champion."