'I was very fortunate': Mike Tindall praises the Firm and his love for the royals in candid new interview with Aussie golf legend Wayne 'Radar' Riley

Sky News AU

5 days ago

Mike Tindall has opened up once again about life inside the royal family- this time while visiting Australia on tour with his popular podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
The 46-year-old former British rugby star, who is Down Under with wife Zara Tindall, 44, appeared in a relaxed, pre-recorded interview with Aussie golf legend Wayne 'Radar' Riley on his show A Round with Radar.
Filmed at the picturesque Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, the episode aired Thursday and saw the pair play nine holes while chatting about everything from family life and marriage to sport and life inside the Firm.
Radar didn't waste time getting to the big question: "What's it like going from a professional footballer into the Royal Family?" he asked.
"In your home, is it like, 'Righto, luv, go get the marmite out', like just normal?"
Mike chuckled: "Yeah, pretty much" before adding that he "hates marmite" while Zara "loves it".
But the conversation soon turned more heartfelt.
"As a family, they're sport loving," Mike said.
"With Princess Anne being the patron of Scottish rugby as well, and now, obviously, the Princess of Wales being the patron of England and Wales respectively, I was very fortunate that they knew a lot about rugby and had that sports side to them that they all love."
When Riley joked that Mike had "just cruised in there," the royal in-law replied: "I wouldn't say I cruised in there. It's a journey you never plan for. But they were just so good. And so open to me."
Elsewhere in the interview, Mike reflected on Zara's own sporting success and how being married to a fellow elite athlete has shaped their relationship.
"It's sort of something that's worked for us," he said.
"Especially, me being in a team sport, and her being in an individual sport… it helps us to understand each other.
"You can recognise what sort of framework they're in… when you understand people's routines and how to be supportive of each other at the right times."
He said their shared sporting background means they know when to help each other unwind.
"We're able to help each other relax when things don't go well, and you understand when it's time for a gag and time for a beer."
While most senior royals remain tight-lipped about private matters, Mike has occasionally peeled back the curtain, including in his 2024 book The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby: Unleashed.
The trio are currently touring Australia with a string of live podcast shows, as well as throwing their support behind the British & Irish Lions tour.
"Believe it or not, marrying into the Royal Family was pretty easy for me," Mike wrote in the book.
"They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really."
He described the family as "a very close family who loved each other dearly"- a stark contrast to fellow commoner-turned-royal Meghan Markle's more strained experience inside the institution.
Despite having no official royal roles or titles, Mike and Zara are known for their loyalty to the core family, particularly Princess Anne, King Charles, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.