Mike Tindall’s podcast co-presenter has lifted the lid on what the Royal Family is really like behind closed doors.
In a candid and brutally honest interview with the Times, former Rugby Union player, James Haskell, has spent time with the Firm and attended multiple Royal Family weddings.
The 39-year-old described the Royal Family in a two-word verdict as being “very dysfunctional”.
Explaining his analysis, he revealed: “Some aren’t as great as others. They do amazing work – but they’re also a modern family that’s very dysfunctional.”
The Good, the Bad & the Rugby podcast host said: “I went to Harry and Meghan’s wedding. I went to Mike and Zara’s wedding. To those who want to get rid of the monarchy — once they’re gone, they’re gone. There’s no way back from that, so remember that they serve an important role. I love what they do.”
James also opened up about Mike and Zara’s wedding in July 2011. He said: “It was the perfect combination of ceremony and romance, coupled with the fact that both of them like to enjoy themselves. Did I wake up the next morning on my bed still in my black tie thinking, ‘Jesus, what did I do last night?’ Potentially, yes.”
The husband of Princess Anne’s daughter hosted the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal on his podcast last year.
Speaking about the podcast episode, Mike wrote in his book ‘The Good, the Bad & the Rugby — Unleashed’: “I think the podcast humanized them a little bit, and I kind of wish they’d let us put the uncut version out, because it would have blown the public away.”
As excerpted in the Daily Mail, he wrote: “They came across as down-to-earth, fully engaged, funny and knowledgeable.
“It was a far more enlightening chat than I expected, not because I thought they’d be dull (I already knew that they weren’t) but because I know how everything to do with the Royal Family is so carefully controlled.”
Despite Mike and Zara not holding any official royal titles and not receiving any financial help from the Crown, the duo are believed to be worth a staggering £30million as reported in Hello! Magazine.
Through a combination of a podcast deal, sporting accolades, endorsement deals, and TV appearances, Mike and Zara have various streams of steady income.
Mike Tindall is mainly known for his 17-year stint as a professional England Rugby star and he started playing professionally at the young age of 18 before retiring at 35.
Now he is an avid podcaster on ‘The Good, The Bad and The Rugby’ which he hosts with his rugby friends James Haskell and Alex Payne. The podcast mostly features interviews with rugby stars and other notable figures from the worlds of sports and pop culture.
