‘I met Mike Tindall – he showed true colours instantly after bizarre question’
EXCLUSIVE: During a surprisingly intimate event, I spent time chatting with Mike Tindall, James Haskell and Alex Payne about their latest business venture as a trio and was left surprised by one reaction
I got to spend time with the trio who host The Good, The Bad & The Rugby
There are certain people you meet with preconceived ideas already firmly lodged in your head. For me, Mike Tindall was one of them.
After all, this is a former England rugby star who also happens to be married to royalty. I had pictured someone polished, measured and perhaps a little guarded. Not unfriendly, of course, but certainly not the sort of person who’d spend the first few minutes of our interaction joking about me secretly wearing a wire.
How wrong I was. I was invited to an event celebrating Blackeye Gin’s partnership with MSC Cruises, which will see the gin stocked aboard MSC Virtuosa and included within the cruise line’s Premium Drinks Package and Yacht Club offering.
The group turned on their business minds during their speech celebrating the new partnership
Walking into The Other House in South Kensington, I immediately realised this wasn’t going to be the large-scale launch event I’d expected. Thanks to the tube strikes wreaking havoc across London, attendance was lower than anticipated. The upside? The gathering felt surprisingly intimate.
Within moments, I was being introduced not only to Mike but also his Blackeye Gin co-founders, former England rugby teammate James Haskell and broadcaster Alex Payne.
It was a pleasant surprise, and the start of a very entertaining afternoon. Almost immediately, the trio began gently taking the mickey out of my profession. Journalists rarely escape unscathed in these situations and I was no exception.
There were jokes about what headline I might be planning, playful suspicion about whether I was secretly recording everything and more than one suggestion that I might be wearing a wire.
The teasing was entirely good-natured and instantly broke down any formality. Rather than the stiff corporate atmosphere you sometimes find at brand events, this felt more like watching three close friends having a laugh.
It was a fun, relaxed event and I can confirm the gin is delicious
But then, almost on cue, they switched effortlessly into business mode as they took to the stage to discuss Blackeye Gin, its growth and the new partnership with MSC Cruises.
What struck me most throughout the afternoon was the friendship between the three founders. The chemistry wasn’t manufactured for cameras or carefully rehearsed. It was genuine. The jokes flowed constantly, each story prompting another dig or anecdote from someone else. The trio also co-host a podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
Before the event, I’d been warned there probably wouldn’t be enough time for one-on-one interviews. So I was pleasantly surprised when James Haskell offered a chat at the end of their speech.
That quickly evolved into around 15 minutes spent speaking with all three founders together. By that point, the earlier banter had made the conversation feel incredibly relaxed. All three were warm, engaging and happy to laugh throughout. There was an easy rapport that made the interview feel less like a formal Q&A and more like a conversation.
Of course, no interview is complete without one slightly rogue question. As we neared the end of our chat, I asked Mike what the Duchess of Edinburgh – better known to many as Sophie Wessex – thought of the gin. Mike looked genuinely perplexed. “That’s a bizarre question,” he replied, visibly caught off guard.
The gathering was held at The Other House in South Kensington
James and Alex immediately joking about what story I was about to write. But the reality was far less exciting. I’d simply remembered that Sophie has visited a gin distillery in the past and has previously spoken about her favourite brands. I was genuinely curious whether she’d sampled Blackeye Gin and what she thought of it.
Perhaps I should have explained that before asking. Still, I’ve always enjoyed ending interviews with something slightly unexpected. You never know what answer you might get.
As I prepared to leave, any lingering concerns about hidden agendas seemed to have disappeared. Mike, James and Alex all shook my hand, thanked me for my time and wished me well.
