Mike Tindall has revealed the surprising nicknames he and wife Zara Tindall have for one another.

The former rugby star and his wife - who is the daughter of Princess Anne and her ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips - believe humour is the key to their successful relationship and as well as using terms of endearment for one another, they also have a comical couple's moniker.

Mike told the new issue of woman+home magazine: "We both refer to each other as 'munchkin' but if it's nicknames, it's Z and Mikey-T.

"You've always got to see the funny side!"

Mike and Zara are parents to Mia, 12, Lena, seven, and five-year-old Lucas, and while juggling the needs of their brood can be "stressful", the couple try to stay good humoured.

He said: "It can be stressful. You're trying to do everything all at once, and that's hard. But you find a way. The whole point is to find a way and get it done while having fun at the same time. That's what we try to do anyway."

Mike and Zara, an Olympic-medal winning equestrian, are competitive but the Good, the Bad and the Rugby host admitted his wife has the edge.

Mike said: "Zara is competitive in everything. I think that's individual mindset.

"And she's an amazing cook,better than me 100% and better on the barbecue, but I enjoy standing around a barbecue - what man doesn't? It makes you feel even manlier cooking meat. But washing up and clearing up, that's my space."

Mike expects Lucas to embrace his enthusiasm for rugby, but his daughter's have turned away from the sport as they have got older.

He said: "Asked if the children will play rugby, he said:" I think the little man will do. Both the girls have and Mia played until she was eight. But then contact comes in at eight and I found this has put her off for now; hopefully she'll come back to it.

"hey both ride, like their mum. But me? No, I don't. Not a sport I'm good at.

"No horse wants to come guy weighing 107 kilos on it! So I respect them, they respect me, and we keep to our own paths."