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He has savoured perhaps the sweetest of moments any sportsman can dream of — starring in a World Cup winning team — and married into the Royal Family.
But it seems not all of Mike Tindall’s life is plain sailing.
Though no longer required to put his body on the line as he did during his rugby-playing days — breaking his nose at least eight times, and once imperilling his life when sustaining a punctured a lung, a lacerated liver and losing two pints of blood — Tindall, 44, still appears to be taking hits.
In a financial sense, that is…
I can reveal that the company he established three years ago with fellow former England international James Haskell, 38, and Old Etonian broadcaster Alex Payne, 42, has now racked up a deficit of £342,266 — nearly three times the figure from the previous year.
The company Mike Tindall established three years ago with fellow former England international James Haskell, 38, and Old Etonian broadcaster Alex Payne, 42, has now racked up a deficit of £342,266
James Haskell and Mike Tindall on the House of Rugby podcast. After its launch in 2018, speedily established itself as the UK’s most popular rugby podcast
The figures scarcely reflect the dazzling promise of the trio’s first podcast of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, produced by their company, BigJam Productions, which went to No 1 in the Apple charts in December 2020.
By then, however, Tindall and his podcast colleagues were embroiled in a legal ruck in the High Court where they were being sued for damages for what is known as ‘passing off’. The case had been brought against them by the new owners of a company for which they had presented House Of Rugby, which, after its launch in 2018, speedily established itself as the UK’s most popular rugby podcast.
Tindall, who married Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest granddaughter, in 2011, vigorously defended himself, as did Haskell and Payne, alleging they were owed £75,000 in fees left unpaid by House Of Rugby’s original producers. The case was settled — without going to trial — just over a year ago.
Since then, Tindall has put himself through I’m A Celebrity and interviewed Zara for a YouTube channel — the first in a series he hosts entitled Mike Drop.
Neither Tindall, Haskell, nor Payne, responded to my request for comment.
Tindall, who married Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest granddaughter, in 2011, vigorously defended himself, as did Haskell
Dangerous? No my cheetah is just a pussycat
Freya Aspinall certainly seems to have inherited her father Damian’s daring spirit when it comes to getting close to wild animals.
The 19-year-old, who spent her childhood at Damian’s wildlife parks in Kent, has shared this photo of her resting on some grass alongside cheetah Saba. Freya, whose mother is actress and model Donna Air, seemed completely at ease with the big cat, who was hand-raised at Howletts Wild Animal Park from birth along with his brother Nairo.
Freya Aspinall certainly seems to have inherited her father Damian’s daring spirit when it comes to getting close to wild animals
The pair were the first UK-born cheetahs to be rewilded. They were initially taken to Ashia Cheetah Sanctuary in Western Cape, South Africa, where they remained before being moved to Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve and then introduced properly back into the wild.
Comedian Rob Delaney thought he had a few decent anecdotes up his sleeve. That is until he found himself on set of the latest Mission: Impossible film alongside Tom Cruise — and he realised he was never going to outdo the Hollywood superstar in the name dropping stakes. ‘Tom’s telling me stories about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton,’ says the 46-year-old. ‘I’m like: ‘Yeah, I saw my friend Jeff at the match,’ and he goes: ‘Well, Elizabeth Taylor called me.”
Petronella Wyatt clearly didn’t realise just how seriously Italians treat religion. Once holidaying in the staunchly Catholic country ahead of Easter, Boris Johnson’s former mistress thought she’d return to a bakery for some much-loved cheeky treats, but was met with a swift rebuttal.
‘There is a chocolate shop in Venice near a friend’s house. It sells delicious chocolate, depicting positions from the Karma Sutra,’ says the 54-year-old writer. ‘I wanted to stock up on some one Easter, and the owner looked at me horrified [saying]: ‘We don’t sell them during Holy Week!” Quite right, too.
So Huw can he be talking to?
Huw Edwards prefers public prepping to asking his wife Vicky Flind, a TV producer, for her views
If anybody spots Huw Edwards on public transport talking to himself, fear not. The newsreader’s not showing the first sign of madness, he’s just talking himself through every scenario that might happen during King Charles’s Coronation.
‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t practise in my own mind. I’m often on the Tube thinking: “What would I say if this happened?” or: “What’s the best turn of phrase for this?”‘ says the 61-year-old, who is heading the BBC’s coverage on May 6. And Huw prefers public prepping to asking his wife Vicky Flind, a TV producer, for her views. ‘I don’t stand in front of a mirror or say to my wife: “Can you listen to this?” I think she’d probably ask me to leave the room.’
