I’m A Celebrity: Mark Tindall Recalls Meeting Wife Zara Phillips And Details Their First ‘Boozy’ Date

Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips

by Millie Payne |
Published on

Mike Tindallshared how he met his wife Zara Phillips with his fellow I'm A Celebrity campmates last night.

The former England rugby player has been married to Zara - the niece ofKing Charles III - for 11 years and they have three children: Mia, eight, four year old Lena and Lucas, one.

On Monday night's episode, the ex-sportsman, 44, regaled comedian Babatúndé Aleshe and Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner with how he and equestrian Zara, 41, hit it off in Australia during the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

He said, 'First actual date, just went out for lunch locally and it ended up being quite a boozy one. Then we figured out that we both quite like getting smashed. It was a good start!'

Their paths would not have crossed initially if Mike had been picked for the semi-final, as he went on to explain.

'I was at the World Cup, she was out watching. I got dropped from the semi-final. I was p****d off and so I went for a beer with another guy who got dropped and a guy who was over [in Sydney]. They'd met her before and they introduced us and then got chatting.'

Mike then joked that dropping him was the best decision of former England coach, Clive Woodward's, life.

It wasn't just the trip down memory lane that got ITV viewers talking last night, as an oblivious Owen - who plays Romeo Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap - asked Mike if Zara was Australian.

He simply replied, 'No', before continuing with the story.

Leeds-born Mike also entertained the camp with his rapping last night, providing impressive renditions of Boom! Shake The Room and Ice Ice Baby.

Many have deemed his appearance on the show (thus far) as a positive for the Royal Family, with many branding him as 'likeable', 'relatable' and 'thoroughly lovely'.

Another fan tweeted, 'The Queen would have been very proud of her grandson-in-law.'

Could it be that Charles won't be the only member of the Royal Family getting crowned King in the foreseeable?

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