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Mike Tindall landed himself in hot water with wife Zara after divulging Prince William's amusing nickname. Ex-England rugby ace Mike often rubs shoulders socially with the Prince of Wales.

It's safe to say that Mike could outlast William in a drinking contest. It seems that knocking back pints isn't exactly the heir's forte, leading Mike to affectionately label him 'One Pint Willy.'

He let this secret slip during a joint podcast appearance with Zara on the late Rob Burrow's show in December 2023. He revealed: "The Prince of Wales is known to me as One Pint Willy because he's not the best of drinkers. It's out there now, sorry, sir." Mike went on to explain that his sport is "built on the social aspect with a couple of beers being sunk quite often."

Zara, already aware of the prince's nickname, feigned shock and exclaimed: "You're in so much trouble!" But the Prince took the revelation in stride, further highlighting the close bond between the two men. That is in stark contrast to his relationship with Prince Harry, which has soured in recent years.

The 'Seven' podcast, hosted by rugby league legend Burrow, who died last year following a courageous fight with motor neurone disease (MND), and his wife, Lindsey, posed seven questions to seven sports stars.

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Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association patron Burrow, who used AI technology and recordings of his voice to communicate, was assisted by the charity with eye-gaze technology to produce the series.

During the episode, Mike admitted he regretted not urging his father to make lifestyle changes after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2003. The England World Cup winner said: "He probably had the symptoms for a year or two before that.

"But, being a typical bloke from up north, decided to ignore most of them for as long as he possibly could.

"I look back now with the disappointment that I didn't take more time to do more stuff then because I would have made him make changes.

"I wish I could have told my dad to exercise more, to change his diet and live a bit healthier and this could have led him down a different path. He's 20 years in now. He's never going to get better obviously. He's only slowly getting worse."

Mike remains closely connected to the sport through his media commitments, including his podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby. He has also spearheaded the controversial R360 project, which he is aiming to launch next year.

The breakaway competition is set to feature 12 franchise teams – eight men's and four women's – taking part in a worldwide grand prix-style tournament, with fixtures planned for cities including London, Miami, Tokyo and Lisbon.

However, the plan took a major hit earlier this month when most of the top rugby-playing nations released a joint statement confirming they would ban any players who sign up from representing their countries.