Zara Tindall says Mike's absence during I'm A Celebrity stint left kids 'bereft'

03 December 2023 , 18:32

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Zara Tindall says Mike's absence during I'm A Celebrity stint left kids 'bereft'

Zara Tindall has revealed that her three children were left "bereft" during her husband Mike's stint on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! last year.

The former England rugby player travelled thousands of miles from Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire to Queensland, Australia for the ITV reality series, becoming the first royal ever to participate in the show and compete for the grand title of King of the Jungle.

Mike, who was reportedly paid up to £150,000 for his appearance, was also required to be away from Zara and their kids Mia, 9, Lena, 5, and two-year-old Lucas for several weeks while he was filming. If that wasn't hard enough, the 45-year-old was forbidden from contacting his loved ones during the process.

Mike Tindall was the first ever member of the Royal Family to appear on I'm A Celebrity 2023 (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"It was emotional," Zara has now said in an interview with Australia Woman's Weekly, while Mike confirmed it was the longest they'd been apart since falling in love over 20 years ago. The lack of communication was especially hard for their little ones, who missed hearing their dad's voice on the phone or seeing him on FaceTime.

"They could watch him on the TV of course, but the way they edit it depends how much you actually do see of him. Some episodes you might not see that much and the kids would be saying,' 'Why can't we see him?' It's hard for them to understand, so yes, they really missed him," Zara, 42, added. "I remember Mia shouting at the TV. All she wanted was for Mike to win the trials."

TOWIE's Chloe Brockett makes cheeky dig at Saffron Lempriere during filming

Zara has admitted it was 'emotional' to be away from Mike for so long (Getty Images)

While the 2022 series was ultimately won by England football player Jill Scott, the rugby star enjoyed plenty of triumphs himself during his jungle stint. After his elimination just before the final, Mike said he was satisfied with his experience on the show and had already been prepared to leave. "I'm good," he said. "It's been a long time. I can feel my body was getting ready to go. I'm pretty comfortable with it. It's been a lot of laughs. That is the best thing. You can get through anything when the humour is good."

Mike later revealed that although he didn't have to get permission from the Royal Family to star on I'm A Celebrity, he did discuss the matter with Prince William beforehand. "You don't want to upset anyone," he said on his podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby. "I spoke to the Prince of Wales about it and he said 'Great, go have fun'."

Mike also said that he'd mentally prepared himself for the jungle beforehand, admitting, "I imagined the worst-case scenario. Then you can deal with everything that’s coming at you."

Emma Dooney