The first episode of Mike Tindall’s new reality series, Grand Slammers, just premiered on the U.K.’s ITV, and it featured a surprise appearance by his mother-in-law, Princess Anne.
Mike Tindall Reacts to Princess Anne’s Surprise Cameo on His New Show ‘Grand Slammers’
He handled it perfectly
Published Sep 28, 2023
•3:53pm
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On September 27, Tindall, 44, returned to the small screen after a one-year hiatus for his brand-new TV show, which follows England’s 2003 rugby squad—Tindall included—as they train a team of prisoners to play against the Australian rugby team.
In one clip obtained by Hello! magazine, Tindall can be seen chatting with his former teammate, Phil Vickery, during the Royal Ascot in June 2023. Their conversation is interrupted by a surprise visitor, Princess Anne, who casually walks into the suite wearing a teal coat dress and a coordinating fascinator.
Based on his reaction, Tindall, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara, was surprised to see the royal. Still, that didn’t stop the athlete from cracking a joke. “Join in, we’re teaching a prison rugby team how to play,” he says to his mother-in-law. “You can join the coaching staff if you’d like.”
Adds Vickery: “You can be our team manager.”
Princess Anne couldn’t be bothered by the offer. “Oh, thank you,” she says nonchalantly as Tindall proceeds to explain the program to her. “Obviously, they’ll play away games. But we’re going in and trying to coach them,” he says.
Princess Anne mentions a similar project before asking permission to step onto the balcony. “Am I allowed out?” she can be heard saying.
We’re taking notes from Tindall on how to keep our cool if we ever spot a royal in the wild.
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