zara and mike tindall smiling© Photo: Getty Images

I'm A Celeb's Mike Tindall reveals 'boozy' first date with wife Zara and chance first meeting

The rugby player opened up on Monday night's show

TV and film writer
November 7, 2022

Mike Tindall has revealed how he met his wife, Zara Tindall, during Monday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

MORE: Mike Tindall reveals wife Zara's 'biggest worry' over I'm A Celebrity appearance 

The former professional rugby player, who is a contestant on this year's series of the ITV show, opened up to fellow campmates Babatúndé Aléshé and Owen Warner about his first encounter with Zara, who is the late Queen's granddaughter.

WATCH: Mike Tindall reveals 'boozy' first date with Zara

Speaking inside the main camp, Mike explained that the pair met in Sydney in 2003. "I was at the World Cup, she was out watching. I got dropped from the semi-final," he said. "I was [expletive] 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 from there."

Owen replied: "So if you never got dropped you never would have met her?" to which Mike responded: "Best decision of Clive Woodward's life."

MORE: Zara Tindall will fly to Australia to support husband Mike Tindall on I'm A Celeb

READ: A look back at Mike Tindall's career and why he received an MBE

"Thank god he dropped you," Owen added. 

© Photo: Getty Images

Mike and Zara, pictured at the Queen's funeral

The dad-of-three then went on to give details about his first date with Zara. "First actual date, just went out for lunch locally. And ended up being quite a boozy one. Then we figured out that we both quite like getting smashed. It was a good start."

When asked by Babatúndé how many years the couple have been together, Mike replied: "18 years."

Owen joked: "My longest relationship was six months!" before Mike reassured him, saying: "You are only 23 though."

Mike and Zara tied the knot on 30 July 2011 at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, just three months after Zara's cousin, Prince William, married Kate Middleton. 

The couple share three children, Mia, eight, Lena, four, and one-year-old Lucas. 

© Photo: ITV

Mike is a contestant on this year's series

Mike recently revealed that his wife has warned him not to embarrass her with his eating habits. Speaking from Australia, Mike said: "We have some work out here so if it got to the end then hopefully, she'd be able to come out. Zara told me to go and be myself, which is all you can be. She said to go enjoy and be yourself."

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. When your nose has been mangled as much as mine it is just a by-product."

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