Mike Tindall says date night with Zara will be ‘the biggest thing’ to happen in three months as they mark ninth anniversary

‘You don’t normally ever plan a date night but now you’re planning a week in advance’

Mike Tindall has said that a date night with his wife Zara will be “the biggest thing” to happen to them in three months as they prepare to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary.

The couple are still four weeks away from marking the milestone, but with the coronavirus lockdown easing and bars and restaurants reopening to members of the public, Mike hopes they will be able to celebrate in style.

Speaking to Lorraine Kelly on Good Morning Britain (GMB) from the living room of his family home on the Gatcombe Park estate, Mike admitted that he would not usually spend much time planning a date night with his wife, but that this year it is something they are both very much looking forward to.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to do something, we’ll have to wait and see what we can do and what we’re allowed to do. It’s quite good with the restaurants opening, we might be able to get a date night in, so that will be nice,” the former rugby player said.

“You don’t normally ever plan a date night, you just do it instantaneously. Now you have to plan, you’re planning a week in advance.

“It’s the biggest thing in the last three months of your life. I’m looking forward to it.”

Mike and Zara, who is the daughter of Princess Anne, married on 30 July 2011 at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. The ceremony was attended by senior royals including the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

During the GMB interview, Mike also opened up about sending his daughter Mia, six, back to school earlier this year.

The couple married on 30 July 2011 at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh (Getty Images)

Talking about making the decision, he said: “You weigh it up, the school she’s at have done a fantastic job in how they’ve prepared.

“She was ready to go back, she was missing her friends and missing that interaction. I’ll always remember her face coming out the first day, she’d had a blast catching up with and seeing everyone.”

Mike opened up to Lorraine about his recent cycling challenge to raise money for The Cure Parkinson's Trust (ITV/Good Morning Britain)

Mike also spoke to Lorraine about the cycling challenge he took part in earlier this year to raise money for The Cure Parkinson’s Trust.

“My dad’s had Parkinson’s for nearly 20 years now,” the 41-year-old said.

“To watch how it’s affected his life and how it’s changed him...if we can find a cure we can stop another son or daughter having to watch what I’ve had to watch with my dad. If we can make it so that no one has to watch their parent, their person they look up to go through it, it’s always worth getting on a bike and just [putting your] head down and pedalling.”