British royal reality star! Meet Queen Elizabeth’s grandson-in-law Mike Tindall on I’m a Celebrity – the former rugby player married Zara and once ripped his pants while dancing for Princess Anne

What happens when a member of the royal family participates in a reality show? History gets made, of course.

The British monarchy has always been careful with its public image and rare television appearances but that all changed when Mike Tindall – who married the late Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter Zara Phillips – appeared as one of the contestants in the UK’s reality show I’m a Celebrity … Get Me out of Here!

The competition show brings together a group of celebrities who need to toughen it out in the middle of the Australian jungle without any luxurious comforts … and Tindall has quickly become a fan favourite among the viewers, reported British media.

Here’s what you need to know about him …

He is a former professional rugby player

Tindall, 44, was born in Otley, West Yorkshire and joined the Bath Rugby team when he was just 18 years old. He then played for both Bath and Gloucester throughout his career as well as for the England team from 2000 to 2011. During this time, Tindall was with the England team when it won the 2003 World Cup. He had also competed in 11 Six Nations Championships.

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After his 17-year career, Tindall announced his retirement in 2014 on Twitter, writing, “I have been lucky to play with/against some great players, two great clubs and had some amazing times. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career!”

He met his wife at a rugby game

According to Hello! magazine, Mike first met his future wife Zara during the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The same source reported that the two swapped numbers and she invited him to the North Cotswolds Hunt Dance back in the UK.

“I just really liked her. It wasn’t love at first sight – I wasn’t looking for romance. But, naturally, I wasn’t unmoved by her. She is a stunning woman. There was something there,” he recounted, per Hello! magazine.

The two reportedly became inseparable, quickly hitting it off as they also shared the same ideals in sportsmanship, as Zara is a former Olympic equestrian.

“That we understand the needs of a sportsperson at the highest level … we understand each other’s highs and lows in sports,” Mike told Hello! magazine.

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The lovebirds announced their engagement in 2010 after seven years of dating and got married in 2011. They are blessed with three children: Mia Grace, Lena Elizabeth and Lucas Tindall. The Tindalls welcomed their third child, baby Lucas, in 2021 in the most unusual place … on their bathroom floor as Zara couldn’t make it to the hospital, as previously reported.

He lives in Princess Anne’s gorgeous estate

Since marrying into the royal family, Mike’s life has seen a massive upgrade. According to Hello! magazine, he and his family have lived in Gatcombe Park estate since 2013, a property owned by Zara’s mum Princess Anne.

The same source reported that the late Queen Elizabeth gave Princess Anne the property in 1976 as a wedding gift. It sprawls over 295 hectares (730 acres) and boasts five bedrooms, four bathrooms, four reception rooms, a library, a billiard room and a conservatory, per Hello! magazine.

In 2018, the Tindalls submitted plans to add a conservatory for increased floor space in their new kitchen and dining room areas. The same publication also stated that they have their own gym, too.

Reportedly, the royal couple previously lived in a US$2 million (£1.69 million) property in Cheltenham.

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The Tindalls are not working royals

The Tindalls’ low profile and normalcy have played well in their favour, making them feel relatable to much of the public. The couple are also not working royals, which means they don’t carry out royal duties, but they still often attend royal events privately or in public, per Insider.

After he bid farewell to his rugby career in 2014, Mike began co-hosting a podcast called The Good, the Bad, and the Rugby with James Haskell and Alex Payne. He is also heavily involved in charity work and donates much of his time to Cure Parkinson’s.

Like their mum, the Tindall children also do not bear any royal titles. Zara’s mum Princess Anne told Vanity Fair in a 2020 interview: “I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles. So, I think that was probably the right thing to do.”

Princess Anne once saw him in his underwear

During his time on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! Tindall revealed that his mother-in-law Princess Anne once saw him in his underwear.

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The wardrobe malfunction happened at his wife’s 30th birthday party, he said. Apparently, Tindall was showing off a dance move for Princess Anne when he accidentally ripped his trousers. What made matters worse was the rude slogan “nibble my nuts”, which was written on his boxer shorts to which Princess Anne replied: “I’d rather not.”

And that’s not even the first time Tindall has torn his formal attire, as he shared more anecdotes on the reality show. He said he always brings spare suits to formal events as they are not made for dancing.

“I went to a wedding, ripped a suit, they were like, ‘Oh my God, what are you going to do?’ I was like, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got a spare,’” he said on the show. “They were like, ‘Who brings a spare suit?’ Someone who rips a lot of trousers brings a spare suit.”

Tindall was awarded an MBE by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2007 in recognition of his achievements in sport, according to Brit Royals.

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