Mike Tindall breached ITV’s strict Covid laws by tackling an I am A Celeb assistant producer

Mike Tindall breached ITV’s strict Covid laws by playfully tackling an I am A Celeb help producer, MailOnline can reveal.

The previous England rugby ace, 44, who’s married to Zara Phillips, 41, the late Queen’s granddaughter, was seen pretending to throw a crew member off a pontoon and into the water days earlier than he entered the jungle.

He broke strict present guidelines by bodily touching the TV employee, who wore a face masking, as a result of crew and superstar solid members should stay not less than two metres aside all through their time on the sequence.

A supply defined: ‘All crew are informed to remain two metres aside from solid members, which is a Covid regulation. Sound and safety, who do checks, are the one individuals that may come into contact with the celebrities.

‘Crew are additionally requested to put on face coverings to forestall a Covid outbreak on set, which might utterly wreck the present.

‘Mike having bodily contact with the assistant producer was a rule break and he should not have approached her.

‘She was taken utterly unexpectedly and did not anticipate Mike to behave the best way he did.’

Mike’s rule break got here days earlier than Olivia Attwood, 31, was pressured to drag out of I am A Celeb as a result of she wasn’t allowed again into camp in accordance with their Covid laws.

The TV persona left the jungle following a medical problem – however wasn’t granted entry again into camp after breaking the present’s strict Covid bubble.  

For Olivia to be allowed again onto set, she would have been made to endure one other week’s isolation, which was deemed ‘not possible.’ 

Mike and the blonde producer have been pictured collectively on the Gold Coast of Australia days earlier than he entered the TV jungle final Friday. 

The sportsman, who an eyewitness stated was filled with power after finishing his quarantine, threw her off guard. 

An onlooker informed The Solar: ‘Mike cheekily ran up behind the beautiful crew member earlier than swinging her round on the pontoon. 

‘At one level he pretended to push her over the sting as he killed time whereas ready to be taken to his first trial.

‘Mike was actually bursting with power after being cooped up in isolation for per week and is sure to be filled with sensible jokes within the camp.’  

The daddy-of-three confirmed his spouse Zara, who’s Princess Anne’s daughter, is hoping to fly out to Australia to greet him when his time on the present is up.

She additionally warned him to maintain his uncouth consuming habits in test and away from the cameras.

Mike stated: ‘Now we have some work out right here so if it acquired to the tip then hopefully, she’d be capable of come out.

‘Zara informed me to go and be myself, which is all you could be. She stated to go take pleasure in, and be your self. Zara’s largest fear is how loud I’m after I eat.

‘She will likely be very comfortable if somebody feedback about how loud I breathe after I eat as a result of it is at all times some extent that she brings up.’ 

It isn’t the primary time that Mike, who shares three youngsters Mia, eight, Lena, 4, and Lucas, one, along with his spouse of 11 years, has displayed comparable pranks publicly all through the years.   

In 2011, when he was England captain, he was fined £25,000 for ‘severe misconduct’ by the RFU for having fun with a ‘dwarf-throwing contest’ with some teammates at a bar in New Zealand.

He was additionally pictured along with his arm round ‘outdated flame’ Jessica Palmer on the identical night.

An ITV spokesperson added: ‘ITV Studios and Lifted Leisure function a stringent set of Covid protocols and procedures to make sure the safety and security of our solid and crew. 

‘Now we have detailed threat assessments in place all through filming and are glad that no protocols have been damaged.’