Zara Tindall becomes first Royal to visit I’m A Celebrity jungle to meet husband Mike

ZARA Tindall became the first royal to visit I’m A Celebrity after making a surprise trip Down Under to support husband Mike ahead of tonight’s finale.

Zara, 41, was pictured strolling around Byron Bay — an hour’s drive from the camp — despite speculation that she would not be there to meet her husband on the famous rope bridge.

She had been missing from the ranks of friends and family who arrived on the Gold Coast in time for the stars to start being evicted from the ITV1 show.

But our exclusive pictures show “happy and relaxed” Zara during a walk Down Under in denim shorts and a striped t-shirt.

Onlookers saw the late Queen’s granddaughter pop into a fashion boutique and a sunglasses store.

One said: “Zara looked very happy and relaxed as she wandered around the local shops. It looks like Mike will get his jungle reunion after all.”

Former England rugby ace, Mike, 44, became the Australian-based show’s biggest signing when he agreed to be part of the celebrity cast this year.

And he went on to win over fans with his sense of humour, stoicism during gruesome Bushtucker Trials and eye-catching budgie-smuggler pants.

His stint has also seen him give fascinating insights into the Royal Family and his relationship with Zara, who he married in 2011.

He told campmates that the pair met when he went for a drink to let off steam after being dropped from the World Cup squad.

He added: “First actual date, just went out for lunch and it ended up being quite a boozy one. Then we figured out that we both quite like getting smashed.”

In a later episode, when quizzed by Owen Warner if her status made him feel pressured, he replied: “No, because we were friends first.

“Then William and Harry were massive rugby fans at the time, so we’d met them numerous times. Met more of the family than you’d normally have met of the woman you start dating.”

Zara — King Charles’ niece — has also been heard in the Jungle herself, after she penned a letter to Mike that was read aloud in the camp.

She wrote: “‘Hi my love. We are missing you so much and really needing some papa hugs, but glad you’re sharing them with your campmates.

“The girls are enjoying sports and throwing themselves into everything at the moment and the little man is loving life, smashing it up, learning some new words.”

Mike and Zara, who have been together for 18 years, have three children: Mia, eight, Lena, four and Lucas, aged one.

Youngest child Lucas also had a TV mention, as Mike told the story of his “rapid” birth at Princess Anne’s estate, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire.

He remembered: “As we got our stuff to go to hospital, she (Zara) got out of the bath, she could barely stand, she was shaking.

“The midwife was like: ‘She’s not making the hospital.’ She was like, ‘You don’t want to be delivering in the car.’

“(I went) into the gym (and got) two gym mats (to put) down in the bathroom…it was fast though, from that moment. She almost choked me to death. (But) You can’t say anything can you? “Can you let go, you’re really hurting me?”

Mike’s also entertained fellow campmates during the show by belting out rap songs including Vanilla Ice song Ice Ice Baby and Will Smith’s Boom! Shake The Room.

He was encouraged to go on I’m A Celebrity by his former England rugby team-mate and close pal James Haskell who was on the show in 2019.

James predicted he would do well, saying: “Mike is very capable, and he’s a very calm guy.

“He doesn’t suffer fools but he’s much more relaxed than I am.”

Last night Mike had odds of 9/1 to win the show, while Lioness Jill Scott remained the firm front-runner with odds of 2/5 to win.