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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

I'm A Celebrity's Mike Tindall jokes around with female crew member during filming

Mike Tindall was seemingly in a jovial mood before heading into the Australian jungle last week, with the star playfully tackling a female crew member as he killed some time before the series kicked off.

The former England rugby player - who is married to the late Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips - was snapped with a big smile across his face as he joked around with a blonde I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! crew member.

Mike, 44, giggled while he seemingly caught the work off guard and pretended to throw her off the pier inbetween shooting scenes for the ITV show hosted by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

The sports star - who shares three children with wife Zara - appeared to crack himself up thanks to his cheeky stunt, with the celebrity camper snapped doubled over with laughter at one point.

Mike Tindall was 'full of energy' before I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! kicked off (BRIAN ROBERTS / THE SUN / BACKGRID)
The rugby star was in a playful mood after spending a few days alone in isolation (BRIAN ROBERTS / THE SUN / BACKGRID)

"Mike cheekily ran up behind the pretty crew member before swinging her around on the pontoon. At one point he pretended to push her over the edge as he killed time while waiting to be taken to his first trial," an onlooker watching on has revealed.

"Mike was certainly bursting with energy after being cooped up in isolation for a week and is bound to be full of practical jokes in the camp," they added when speaking to The Sun.

Mike is known for his playful nature and love of pranks (BRIAN ROBERTS / THE SUN / BACKGRID)
The star enjoyed nights out during his rugby playing days (BRIAN ROBERTS / THE SUN / BACKGRID)

The I'm A Celebrity star is known for his cheeky, playful antics - with the retired sports star once fined by the Rugby Football Union in 2011 thanks to an infamous night out.

The then-England captain was hit with a £25,000 fine for 'serious misconduct' by the RFU for participating in a 'dwarf-throwing contest' with some teammates at a bar in New Zealand.

On the same night, Mike was also snapped with his arm around an old love interest, Jessica Palmer.

Mike is the first ever royal to appear on I'm A Celebrity (BRIAN ROBERTS / THE SUN / BACKGRID)
The late Queen's granddaughter will fly Down Under if he reaches the final (Getty Images)

In December 2010, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Mike to Zara, the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips.

The pair went on to tie the knot the following year and the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II has since given birth to three children, two daughters and a son.

Thanks to starring on this year's series of I'm A Celebrity, Mike as made history as the first royal to ever appear on the ITV reality TV show.

Mike and Zara share three young children together (Getty Images Europe)

His stint in the jungle has the full backing of his wife, who will fly Down Under to support her husband if he makes it all the way to the final later this month.

"We have some work out here so if it got to the end then hopefully, she'd be able to come out," Mike said before heading into the jungle.

"Zara told me to go and be myself, which is all you can be. She said to go enjoy and be yourself."

Mike during his first challenge on I'm A Celebrity (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

He added: "Zara's biggest worry is how loud I am when I eat. She will be very happy if someone comments about how loud I breathe when I eat because it's always a point that she brings up."

Australia holds a special place in both Mike and Zara's hearts, thanks to the country being where the happy couple met each other.

The loved-up pair bumped into each other in a Sydney bar while Mike competed in England's successful World Cup campaign in Oz back in 2003.

Zara was travelling across Australia when she decided to call into a local bar to watch the semi-final, where Mike was also catching the game alongside some teammates after being dropped from the line-up.

"Clive (Woodward, the coach) had just told me I was dropped for the semi-final, so I went out for a beer with two others who weren't playing, Martin Corry and Austin Healey," Mike explained when recalling how he met his now-wife.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2011, he continued to reveal: "Zara was in the same bar; we got introduced but didn't speak that much. Later on, 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'."

Mike and Zara's wedding was a star-studded affair (Getty Images)

The following year it was confirmed the pair were dating and they eventually went on to marry on July 30, 2011 at Edinburgh's Canongate Kirk, just three months after Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding.

During the service the bride rejected traditional wedding vows, promising to "honour" and not "obey" her groom. The late Queen's eldest granddaughter also chose to keep her maiden name of Phillips after the marriage.

The couple currently live in a property on the Gatcombe Park estate, Gloucestershire, owned by Princess Anne, with their three children.

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