The royal family ‘raised no objections’ over Mike Tindall’s I’m A Celebrity appearance as King Charles was ‘informed throughout the process’, a royal correspondent has revealed. Speaking on behalf of Slingo, royal correspondent Chales Rae has opened up on the formy rugby star’s connection to the royal family as he prepares to make his debut in the jungle this weekend.
Mike, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall, is the first member of the royal family to take part in the ITV show, which is returning to Australia for the first time since the pandemic. But it appears Mike was faced with some challenges of his own ahead of the show, after coming face-to-face with the royal family over his reality TV stint.
Charles said: "Mike will certainly have run his appearance with the royal family. He will have discussed it with Zara and Princess Anne, as well as aides to the King. Charles is obviously Mike’s uncle through marriage, so I can only imagine he will have been informed throughout the process. The very fact he is appearing clearly means that none of the family have raised objections.
“We also have to remember that Mike and Zara are not working royals and therefore do not get anything from the Sovereign House Grant. The couple rely on their sponsorship work and their links to sport.
“I expect Mike will be well aware of what he can say and cannot say whilst on the show. He is shrewd, so I wouldn't expect he would reveal any family secrets.
"However, that does not mean that some people will not want to cause mischief and quiz him on the royals, particularly Harry and Meghan. Mike has appeared on various programmes in the past and he has managed to keep quiet about family matters.
"His royal family topics, if there are any, will be mainly about things the general public know. I suspect Matt Hancock is likely to have a much tougher time.
“The royal family has coped with all sorts of things the past few years, so I’m sure they will cope in the unlikely event Mike speaks out of turn. I am sure he will have discussed matters, particularly with Zara and also senior palace aides.
“Royals have not always fared well on television shows, who can forget the disaster of It’s A Royal Knockout in 1987? It starred Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, the Duchess of York and Princess Anne. It was highly embarrassing and they were heavily criticised - particularly Edward, Fergie and Andrew.
"Mike will be aware that there is a fine line between hero and zero in taking part in a reality show. However, as I say they were further up the royal food chain than Mike and were all working royals."
Charles added: “Mike and Zara are popular within the royal family, with close ties to William and Catherine. They often spend time together and have children of similar ages, so it is all happy families. They are also close to Harry and Meghan, but of course don’t see them as often. Zara is also a favourite of King Charles, which means he has a lot of time for Mike as well.
“Zara will clearly be glued to the screen, but I also suspect his mother in law, Princess Anne, will be tuning in as well. William and Catherine, who are close to the Tindalls, will want to see how he gets on. I expect the King and Queen will be getting progress reports and might just occasionally tune in.”
Charles has also looked at how Mike will cope in the jungle, and his relationship with wife Zara. He said: "I think Mike will cope very well in the jungle. Let’s not forget that he is a rufty tufty rugby player, who is very strong and determined, both mentally and physically.
"I would be surprised if he did not last well towards the end. We have seen how devoted he is to Zara and their three children and while I’m sure being away from them all will be a wrench, I also believe he will cope.
“Mike and Zara are a well-suited couple. They appear to be very happy with each other and also their positions in the royal family. While they aren’t working royals, they still join in on major events as we have seen. I am pretty sure they are happy that they do not have the same pressures that affect other members who are further up the pole.
"Anne wanted Zara and her brother Peter to face as normal a life as possible, which has worked. Mike is a celebrity outside the royal family and clearly copes well.”
