September 29th 2023.
Mike Tindall is here to set the record straight when it comes to the myths about marrying into the Royal Family. As the former rugby pro and I'm A Celebrity finalist, who wed Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Tindall in 2011, he knows exactly what it's like to be part of the family. Together, they share three young children, Mia, Lena, and Lucas, and Mike is keen to open up about life behind closed doors in a brand new documentary.
The upcoming ITV show, Grand Slammers, follows nine members of England's 2003 rugby World Cup squad as they take on a new challenge. Viewers will see Mike in a different light, as he and his pals train a group of inmates at a men's prison to compete against a team of Australian expat rugby players.
In the episodes, Mike speaks openly about his life with Zara, who chose not to accept a royal title. "Everyone thinks that just by marrying Zara, that means it's all fine and dandy," Mike says. "But that doesn't stop the fact that you need a job. It's not that easy, you know. You get quite institutionalised into rugby, it's a way of life and you leave the game and that's not there."
He continues, "I don't think you can ever sort of describe when you're so used to being around that many people, and understanding, because of it being ingrained in you, where you fit in to then not being that person. Zara would say if she was honest it was probably a year it took me to figure out what I was, who I was going to be. You've got to then go carve where the next path is — you can never replace going to work with 35 of your best friends every day."
This isn't the first time Mike has spoken about his life at home with Zara, as recently he revealed their antics after King Charles III's Coronation. After the celebrations, Mike and Zara headed to The Arts Club, a private members club next to The Ritz, for a date night. "It was quite nice to have a little bit of time where we could just go out and have a drink and have a chat and it was quite nice," Mike said. "So I definitely don't regret that."
Mike's appearances in the upcoming ITV programme, alongside rugby legends Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Phil Vickery, Jason Robinson, Will Greenwood, Ben Cohen, and Matt Dawson, aims to show how sport can have a positive impact on prisoners' lives. The two-parter Grand Slammers airs tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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