Two seconds after QEII died, Mike Tindall signed up to compete on a tacky reality show called I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. He was eliminated before the final, but not before he was photographed assaulting a female crew member on the production. Tindall did make six-figures from the whole tacky extravaganza though – not only was he paid for the show, his profile was boosted enough that he got some sponsors like Domino’s and Amazon. All in all, a nice payday for a few months of “work.” Tindall also has a podcast where he gossips about sports, celebrity and royalty, and it turns out that he’s organized some kind of podcast tour too. And now this: Tindall is taking part in yet another reality show.

Mike Tindall is set to appear on the small screen once more, following his successful appearance on I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of Here last year. The husband of King Charles’ niece Zara and former rugby international, 44, will appear on new ITV reality show Grand Slammers.

Alongside other players from the England Rugby team that won the 2003 World Cup, Mike will enter HMP The Mount prison and attempt to build and train a team of inmates strong enough to compete against a formidable rival, the Australians. The other players entering the facility – which is home to one of the only remaining rugby pitches inside an adult male English prison – include Captain Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Phil Vickery, Jason Robinson, Will Greenwood, Ben Cohen, Mike Tindall and Matt Dawson.

According to the production company behind the programme, which will feature two 90-minute shows, the series will offer a ‘vivid insight into the power of sport to change lives as the England legends open up to inmates about how rugby had a profound impact on them during formative periods and gave them a purpose in life’.

Mike’s return to the small screen comes as he appeared to ramp up work in recent months, appearing on I’m A Celebrity and a number of advertising campaigns, including for Domino’s and Amazon. He also recently announced that his podcast The Good, The Bad and The Rugby would tour across the UK, with 17 dates set to take place. The 17 date tour will start at the end of October and continue throughout November and December.

[From The Daily Mail]

Honestly, this one doesn’t sound as tacky as the last one. The Mail quotes the producer of the show at length, explaining that the rugby training is a way to combat recidivism and I sort of get that. It’s tricky, though, when you consider that some/many of the imprisoned men have likely been convicted of violent crimes, and now a TV producer and the king’s nephew-in-law will be spending all of this time humanizing them and teaching them a violent sport. In any case, the Tindalls are really cashing in now that QEII has passed. The royal commentators sniff and say that Charles will be keeping his eye on this stuff, but that sounds like just another bluff. Like, “the palace is reviewing the Sussexes’ contracts” kind of bluff.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.