Mike Tindall has revealed how his wife is supporting him as he gears up for I'm A Celebrity - and how her biggest worry is about the way he eats.
Speaking about leaving his family to take part in the ITV show in Australia, he admitted tears were shed and hoped for more signs of sadness from his three children. He said: "Obviously, it's difficult but the saving grace is going to a country that we know very well, and Zara understands and gets it and that makes it a lot easier.
"It's one of those things with the kids I've had a couple of phone calls while I've been here. They say they're going to miss you when you leave but when you ring them, they're like hi dad, bye. Then they are off doing whatever they do. I expected there to be more tears than there actually are."
Read More: I'm A Celebrity winner Danny Miller predicts final three before show has even started
Mike, 44, is married to the late Queen 's granddaughter Zara Tindall making him the first royal reality TV star for decades, reports The Mirror. On leaving her at home in Gloucestershire with the kids, he said: "Zara gets it and supports it – with both our careers, she goes away competing for weeks at a time and I always went on tours for 3-4 weeks in the summer.
"So our relationship has always been built to deal with that and we're good at compartmentalising and finding ways to deal with it. Zara told me to go and be myself, which is all you can be. She said to go enjoy yourself and be yourself. 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 has it is just a by-product."
The couple's children - Mia, Lena and Lucas Tindall, who are aged between eight and one - are too young for the 9pm start time of I'm A Celebrity but may watch clips and discussing this Tindall let slip he calls his wife 'Z'. He added: "With the kids it'll be the case of they'd be in bed before the show goes out on a normal evening, so it'll be down to Z to get them the highlights – only the good stuff probably."
Asked if he will be vulnerable in camp, he said: "I would say probably not. That's probably not something that comes out of me. Hopefully you'll just get me.
"You'll get someone that for their whole life has been around a team environment so I always want to try and fit in and bond with people because with an adventure like this - with all those people that want to win it you can't function without the rest of the other moving parts in there.
"You have to create good bonds and friendships otherwise it’ll be a miserable time and it won't be enjoyable.
"You'll see someone that'll help everyone come together and ultimately, you've got to work together to get your food and I am very keen on winning as much as we can, we will try and work towards that and have some fun along the way."
He further added: "I think I am just using it mainly as an experience, a once in a lifetime sort of experience to have a go at." I'm a Celebrity returns on Sunday (November 5) on ITV and ITV Hub from 9pm.
Read Next:
Boy George will 'avoid pointless arguments' on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here
I'm A Celebrity's Ant McPartlin shows off new 'tribute' tattoo as filming start in Australia
I'm A Celebrity line-up 'confirmed' as 11 stars head Down Under
I'm A Celebrity boss insists Matt Hancock was not signed up to the show to 'divide' campmates
