I’m A Celebrity star Mike Tindall is the first member of the royal family to head off to the jungle and take part in the show, fronted by hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.
Famous for its Bushtucker Trials, Mike will doubtless be seen chewing on kangaroo anus and taking part in all manner of scary challenges.
But it should be a walk in the park for the former England rugby star.
Here’s everything we know about I’m A Celebrity star Mike Tindall…
Who is I’m A Celebrity star Mike Tindall?
Mike Tindall is a former English rugby union player.
He played outside centre for Bath and Gloucester and won 75 caps for England.
Mike was a member of the England squad which won the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
When did Mike Tindall retire?
Mike made his debut for England in 2000 and, as well as the World Cup, also won the 2003 Six Nations.
He played in 11 Six Nations Championships between 2000 and 2011.
On July 15 2015, he announced his retirement from professional rugby.
Where is Mike Tindall from? Does Mike Tindall have siblings?
Mike was born Michael James Tindall October 18 1978 in Otley, West Yorkshire.
He is the son of Phillip Tindall and Linda Shepherd.
Phillip was a banker, but he now suffers from Parkinson’s disease. Linda, meanwhile, was a social worker – she is now his full-time carer.
Mike has one brother, Ian Tindall.
Not much is known about him, other than that he was born in 1975, making him older than Mike
Ian has been married since 2011.
Who is Mike Tindall married to? Who is Mike Tindall’s wife?
You’d have had to have been living under a rock if you don’t know that Mike is married to Zara Tindall, nee Phillips.
Zara is, of course, King Charles’ niece and the late Queen’s granddaughter.
When did Zara and Mike Tindall get married?
The couple met nearly 20 years ago in a pub in Australia.
The pair first met during the Australian Rugby World Cup in 2003 at the Manly Wharf bar in Sydney.
At the time, Mike had just been dropped by the England team leading into the semi-finals.
Meanwhile Zara, who is the daughter of Princess Anne, was on a gap year and in Australia with her friends.
As a result of him being dropped, Mike went out to a local pub with two of his friends, Martin Corry and Austin Healy.
And it was there he quickly bumped into his wife-to-be – who made the first move.
Speaking to Daily Mail in 2011, he said: “Austin gave me her number and said: ‘She wants you to text her to say where you’re all going out after the final so she can come along.'”
Following their initial encounter, the pair started to talk and their relationship went from strength to strength.
On December 21 2010, Buckingham Palace announced their engagement.
The couple married on July 30 2011 at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.
The couple lived in a £1.2 million home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, before moving to the Gatcombe Park estate – the country residence of Princess Anne.
How many children does Mike Tindall have?
Mike and Zara have three children – Mia, Lena and Lucas.
Mia Grace Tindall arrived in January 2014, making her almost nine.
Zara then suffered two miscarriages, before the safe arrive of Lena Elizabeth, named after the Queen, in June 2018 – she is now four.
Son Lucas Philip – in tribute to Zara’s late grandfather Prince Philip – arrived in March 2021. He turned one earlier this year.
Why did Mike Tindall wear medals at the Queen’s funeral?
Mike was seen at the Queen’s funeral earlier this year wearing three medals.
They are his MBE, which was awarded in 2007 for his sporting achievements.
Mike was also given the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and the Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022.
However, Mike isn’t keen on wearing them.
Speaking on his The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, he said: “I hate wearing them.”
“I think you would be the same because you class medals as a military honour.
“Any serviceman, I am deeply appreciative of your service and I have not served anywhere and actually haven’t done anything to achieve those medals apart from being in the family,” he said.
Mike continued to explain: “So the Jubilee medals, obviously I got married in 2011, so 2012 was her Diamond Jubilee and you get a medal if you’re part of the family.
“The people who work in her household get a medal, and if you’ve been serving in the armed forces for five years, and you’re actively in service you get one too.
“So it’s harder for [people in the] military to actually get a Jubilee medal unless they served for a long time.
“There’s been a lot more as you get a lot more celebrations later in life, so 50, 60, 70, that’s where I got one, and the other one was my MBE,” he added.
Can Mike Tindall be King?
Wife Zara is currently 20th in the line of succession to the British throne.
So, unless something entirely tragic happens to everyone ahead of her, Mike won’t become King.
In the event that it did happen, Zara could decide to give him the King Consort title.
However, he has reflected on his chances of becoming King of the Jungle.
If he was to win I’m A Celebrity 2022, Mike’s jungle coronation would take place before King Charles’ actual real-life coronation.
However, he laughed it off and declared that he’s “not really thinking about that to be honest”.
He also said that he had “no idea” if Princes William and Harry would be tuning in to watch him face the show’s Bushtucker Trials.
Mike Tindall signs up for I’m A Celebrity
Mike told The Sun that lack of communication with the outside world would be the “hardest bit” of the show for him.
“You’ve just got to get your head around doing what you’re doing and try and win some stars and stuff and see where you go from there. I want to win stars because I want to eat!” he admitted.
Zara is fine, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it would I?
Mike then commented on his “hanger” – a term that means you get angry when you’re hungry.
“The hanger is always going to be the biggest thing you have got to worry about but I’ve also got three kids, so dealing with lack of sleep comes with the territory.”
The rugby star did admit that Australia has a “special place” in his heart after meeting Zara in Sydney.
And King Charles’ niece is giving her hubby her backing as he takes part in the show.
“She is fine, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it would I? I was always on the fence but I do think it will be good fun – I like groups of people and I like things that can be good fun so let’s see. I might regret it,” he added, speaking about the rest of the celebrities taking part.
Are Mike Tindall and Prince Harry friends?
Back in the day we’d have given you a rock-steady yes.
However, recent comments by Mike and analysis of his body language by one expert appears to paint a bit of a different picture.
So have the pair suffered a fall-out? It’s been alleged the distance between them could’ve come about as a result of Mike’s closeness with Prince William.
What has Mike Tindall said about Harry?
Mike was said to have been overheard branding Prince Harry a slang word for the male genitalia at a reception held after the Platinum Jubilee concert.
He was allegedly overheard branding him a [bleep]end.
At the Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving Service, a body language expert also claimed that Mike looked “awkward” after exiting the with wife Zara.
They were stood on the steps when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle approached.
Judi James claimed to the Express that Mike appeared to avoid chatting to Harry.
She alleged: “Zara looks happy to chat and even turns fully to talk to Harry, who is looking anxious and keen to get into his own car.
“Mike though remains facing forward, looking about and holding his order of service up with a look of awkwardness.
“In the end he talks to Viscount Lindley, who turns his own back on Harry, cutting the two men off from Zara’s conversation with Harry.”
Back in September 2021, Mike made more comments about Harry.
While taking part in A Question of Sport Live at the London Palladium, royal expert Richard Eden joked that Mike thought it would be “amusing to throw a few punches” at Harry to test how long it would take his personal protective officers to step in.
Tindall said: “At Balmoral, the family are now having the same conversation.”
He added: “Except the Queen has taken his security away.”
However, Mike has branded Megxit a total “no-go area” when asked about it in the past, so it’s unlikely he’ll speak about it in the jungle.
Dwarf-throwing controversy
Mike and his rugby pals were embroiled in a dwarf-throwing controversy after a Rugby World Cup match in November 2011.
The incident took place in Queenstown, New Zealand, when the team were on the Mad Midget Weekender night out.
The event included a dwarf-throwing contest.
As a result of his attendance, Mike was fined £15,000 and temporarily removed from the squad.
However, he has spoken about the night out since, and he has “no regrets”.
“Do I have any regrets about the evening? No, because I had a good time with a lot of the players that I enjoyed playing with, with a lot of fans who I enjoy spending time with,” he told the Daily Mail.
“It was nothing we didn’t do in 2003. Not one player threw a dwarf,” he added.
More controversy
That isn’t the only controversial moment in Tindall’s past, though.
During the same Rugby World Cup, footage was shared online of I’m A Celebrity star Mike Tindall allegedly flirting with a mystery blonde.
His behaviour was dismissed as “boisterous horseplay”.
He also has two convictions for drink-driving.
Back in 2009, before he married Zara, Mike was fined £500 and ordered to pay £75 costs after appearing in court.
He was also banned from driving for three years. It was his second offence.
Mike Tindall stars in Domino’s advert
Mike made headlines before jetting off to Australia after appearing in two adverts in the space of a week.
The first to appear was for pizza chain Domino’s, before Mike was seen in an ad for Amazon Prime.
He appeared with James Haskell in the pizza ad.
Mike is seen arriving at his pal’s house carrying a stack of pizzas.
Haskell greets him, saying: “Tinds! What a boy. And in a heli too! Someone must have owed you a really big favour!”
Mike replies: “Standard! You know me, mate! Friends in high places. I always deliver for you.”
Turning to camera, Haskell then says: “Calm down! What do you need, a medal?” in a jibe about the honours he wore to the Queen’s funeral.
In the Amazon ad, Mike pops out of a cardboard box as a customer, played by comedian Archie Curzon, declares: “[It’s] Mike Tindall, Zara Phillips’ husband!”
Mike Tindall: Star’s net worth ‘revealed’
Zara is thought to be worth a pretty penny, with a reported net worth of £14.5 million.
Mike, however, is alleged to be the richer of the two, with a reported net worth of £15.7 million.
This makes him the fourth richest rugby player in the UK.
Not bad for a lad who started out in his local chip shop and was paid according to how many fish he sold!
Mike is now said to earn a six-figure salary from his company, Kimble Trading.
He also works with Gloucester Rugby Club and has numerous celebrity endorsement deals.
He’s also a speaker at dinner events and has his own podcast.
And that’s before the tidy sum Mike Tindall is reportedly earning for his I’m A Celebrity stint.
It’s been claimed that his fee is £150,000.
However, Mike clearly hasn’t let his millions go to his head, previously telling The Times: “I am very conscious about money, spending only what I have.
“That was always the way when I started professional rugby.”
Read more: Mike Tindall ‘faces wrath of King Charles after failing to get permission for I’m A Celebrity’
Are you backing Mike Tindall on I’m A Celebrity? Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and share your thoughts.