Mike Tindall ‘under pressure’ as he speaks about Royal Family ahead of the I’m A Celebrity final

As one of the four remaining campmates Mike Tindall's body language reveals he's still 'guarded' to tell-all on royal life

Mike Tindall and wife Zara Tindall at the Queen's funeral and split layout with Mike Tindall in I'm A Celebrity with his hand up to his face
(Image credit: Getty/ ITV)

Mike Tindall feels 'under pressure' as he speaks out about the Royal Family ahead of the I'm A Celebrity final, body language expert claims. 


Mike Tindall is said feel 'under pressure' as he speaks out on the Royal Family during his time in the jungle after being quizzed about his unusual life, as royal expert analyses the tell-tale signs.

The former rugby player, who is married to King Charles III's niece Zara Phillips, was questioned about staying over at Buckingham Palace and how he felt when he met the Royal Family but while he tells campmate Owen Warner "No, I don't mind" when asked if he's alright in talking about it, body language expert Darren Stanton lifts the lid on how Mike's body language gives another indication.

It comes after we revealed Mike is 'aware of what he can and cannot say' in the Jungle.

Darren tells us on behalf of Betfair Casino, "I think Owen has an interesting style of asking questions, which comes across as very innocent. He clearly has a genuine interest and is curious about Mike’s life outside of the jungle.

"There were several interesting moments in the few minutes that Owen and Mike were talking, especially from Mike who showed expressions we have not seen from him before. At one point, I noticed a sudden shift in his emotions internally and a slight change in his posture. 

Darren continued, "You’ll notice from the footage on certain questions that Mike, who was sitting on the floor, reached up to the bridge of his nose with his hand. This is what we call a self reassurance gesture or a pacifier in psychology. This gesture is often used for reassurance and to make sure that we are doing or saying the right thing. Even though Mike comes across as a very open and honest guy, there were a few moments where he was considering very carefully what he was going to say about the royal family." 

Mike is among the favourites to win I'm A Celebrity, but upon speaking about life in the famous family, could something be holding him back?

Darren continued to analyse Mike's body language in camp, he explained, "When Owen asked whether Mike knew he was dating royalty during the early stages of his relationship with Zara, Mike appeared to make the gesture again. He also used deflective linguistics, which usually occurs when a person is under pressure. 

During their conversation, Mike, who previously revealed he and Zara bonded over 'getting smashed', volleyed the question back to Owen and asked, ‘How do you mean?’ I think this was a clever way of buying himself a few seconds to consider his answer. I also noticed he made the same gesture of placing his hand on his nose and his right leg began to shake for a few seconds. Again, this denotes a shift in emotion. Although Mike is generally honest and open, I think he is ever so slightly guarded when speaking about the royals.”

Mike prepares to face the Celebrity Cyclone on I'm A Celeb, tune in at 9pm on ITV1 tonight and on Sunday for the final.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)