MIKE Tindall has been investigated over breaching I’m A Celeb’s strict Covid rules by playfully tackling an assistant producer, it has been revealed.
The former England Rugby ace, who is married to the late-Queen’s granddaughter Zara Philips, could have broken ITV rules that dictate cast and crew members must remain at least two meters apart at all times.
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Mike, 44, was spotted pretending to throw the crew member, who was wearing a face mask, off a pontoon while laughing heartily in the days before he entered the jungle.
A source told The Daily Mail: “All crew are told to stay two metres apart from cast members, which is a Covid regulation. Sound and security, who do tests, are the only people that can come into contact with the celebrities.
“Crew are also asked to wear face coverings to prevent a Covid outbreak on set, which would completely ruin the show.
“Mike having physical contact with the assistant producer was a rule break and he shouldn’t have approached her.”
The source added: “She was taken completely by surprise and didn’t expect Mike to behave the way he did.”
The Rugby World Cup winner was pictured play-wrestling with the blonde producer on the Gold Coast of Australia, before he entered the jungle last Friday.
One eyewitness said the sports star was full of energy after completely his quarantine.
They told The Sun Online: “Mike cheekily ran up behind the pretty crew member before swinging her around on the pontoon. At one point he pretended to push her over the edge as he killed time while waiting to be taken to his first trial.
“Mike was certainly bursting with energy after being cooped up in isolation for a week and is bound to be full of practical jokes in the camp.”
Mike, the first sort-of royal to appear on the reality show, has plenty of form for such high-jinks from his rugby days.
Indeed, a royal expert told The Sun that Mike’s behaviour on the show won’t go down well behind closed doors among royal relatives.
Since entering the jungle, Mike has become a fan favourite, showing off his surprising hidden talent, while also giving viewers a good laugh by struggling to light a fire.
An ITV spokesperson said: “ITV Studios and Lifted Entertainment operate a stringent set of Covid protocols and procedures to ensure the protection and safety of our cast and crew.
“We have detailed risk assessments in place throughout filming and are satisfied that no protocols have been broken.”
Representatives for Mike Tindall declined to comment.
It comes after Olivia Atwood was shockingly forced to withdraw from the show after she broke the strict Covid bubble, as The Sun exclusively revealed.
She had left the camp to deal with a medical issue and wanted to return to take part in the hit series.
However, ITV bosses feared she could potentially infect the other contestants with the virus.
The former Love Island star then flew back to the UK from Brisbane, though mystery still surrounds her departure.
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