I'm A Celebrity fans were shocked when it was first announced that Mike Tindall would be among those appearing in 2022's ITV hit show. The former England rugby player and royal was not the usual candidate heading for jungle life, but then neither was former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Many have speculated about how the conversation with the royal family would go when he announced the decision. Mike himself has cleared up the speculation.
Mike certainly endeared himself to viewers during his time in the Australian jungle - rapping, telling tales and handing out hugs. He eventually took fourth position on the winners' podium behind Queen of the Jungle and Lioness, Jill Scott, Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner and the ex-Health Secretary.
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Now, Mike has shared details on his time prior to the show, and answered the questions many fans were asking - did he need permission to join the programme, and what was the reaction from senior royals when he said he would be joining hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on I’m A Celebrity?
Speaking during an episode of his podcast The Good, the Bad and the Rugby, the Mirror reported that Mike discussed his experience on the reality show, telling his co-hosts about his campmates as well as the process leading up to his highly secretive flight to Brisbane. One of the questions from co-host James Haskell was whether he needed permission from the royal family to sign up to the programme.
Mike told listeners that while he was not required to do so, he decided to seek it out as a courtesy to his wife Zara’s family. "You don't want to upset anyone," he explained. "I spoke to the Prince of Wales about it and he said 'great, go have fun'."
Lifting the curtain on his time in the jungle, Mike went on to touch on his discussions about the royals with his I’m A Celebrity campmates. He openly admitted to "cutting conversations short" when the subject arose but added that he was not warned off sharing certain stories about the royals.
During the show, Mike let viewers into the story of how he met his wife and their first date. In I'm A Celeb tradition, Zara was there to meet her husband on the famous rope bridge when he was eliminated from the show. She was filmed running to hug him, as he was heard saying to her: "I have missed you so much."
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