Nibble your nuts? I would rather not!
What Princess Anne told Tindall night she caught sight of his novelty boxers
THE sight of Mike Tindall in his budgie smugglers may have raised eyebrows among viewers. But it probably came as little surprise to his royal mother-in-law.
For the rugby star revealed last night that his trousers once ripped in front of Princess Anne... exposing novelty boxer shorts bearing the slogan ‘Nibble my nuts’.
The notoriously acerbic royal took one look and told Tindall: ‘I’d rather not’.
He made the revelation to campmates on last night’s I’m A Celebrity, the day after causing a stir by prancing around in tightfitting multicoloured swimming trunks as he took a dip in the pool.
Former Rugby World Cup winner Tindall, 44, who has been married to Anne’s daughter Zara, 41, for 11 years, told how the trouser-ripping incident occurred as he tried a ‘sexy’ dance move.
He explained: ‘I went to a wedding, ripped a suit, they were like, “Oh my god, what are you going to do?”.
‘I was like, “Don’t worry I’ve got a spare.” They were like, “Who brings a spare suit?” Someone who rips a lot of trousers brings a spare suit.’ He continued: ‘Zara had a 30th birthday, it was a disco Seventies-themed one. I was dancing on the dance floor. I had flares on, full outfit but it was quite tight, nothing ever fits [a] rugby player’s bum and legs.
‘ So I was dancing with my mother-in-law… ripped my trousers, straight in front of her.
‘It happened to be that my boxers that I had on at that time said “Nibble my nuts”. As I’ve turned round, she’s gone, “I’d rather not”. I’ve gone, “I’m going” and walked off.’
Impressed, comedian Babatunde Aleshe, 34, applauded him while fellow comic Seann Walsh, 36, hailed him a ‘legend’.
Tindall’s wardrobe adventures may have come as a welcome break for viewers who are bored with the antics of former health secretary Matt Hancock – particularly after having to watch him take on every Bushtucker Trial so far.
Hancock, 44, has been singled out since joining the camp as a late arrival with Walsh, and last night took on his sixth challenge.
The MP, who has had the whip suspended by the Tory Party for abandoning his duties at Westminster to cavort on ITV in the jungle, secured seven stars out of a possible 11 after he was buried underground in a vault with snakes for the Deserted Down Under ordeal.
‘Something’s going up my leg! It’s inside my shorts,’ he squealed. The West Suffolk MP, who was stung by a scorpion on Sunday night’s episode, explained later: ‘I just managed to keep really calm. I had to be gentle with them, but they were fine. My biggest fear [was snakes]. I kind of feel like I’ve faced that. I’ve conquered a fear.’
Viewers have pleaded with ITV to alter the format to prevent campmates taking part in challenges on consecutive nights. One wrote on Twitter: ‘Come on ITV, three days in a row now... I know it’s a public vote, but it’s boring seeing the same people do a challenge. You should put a block in for people not to do a trial if they have just done the previous one.’
Another wrote: ‘Please stop voting Matt. This is so boring.’ Others threatened to stop watching.
The show attracted 9.07million viewers when it launched on November 6. Hancock’s arrival on Wednesday drew 8.10million but by Saturday ratings dropped to 6.65million, although they rose to 7.83million on Sunday.
A senior TV industry insider told the Daily Mail: ‘It seems clear that part of I’m A Celebrity’s regular audience don’t want to see Matt Hancock and have stopped watching.
‘It’s become the Matt Hancock show and a lot of people feel strongly that he shouldn’t be being rewarded with £400,000 when his claim to fame was shocking hypocrisy at a time of national crisis and grief.’