Mike Tindall details his father Phil's 'horrible' final months with Parkinson's before he died

Mike Tindall has revealed his father's "horrible" final days before his sad passing in a candid conversation on his podcast.

Zara Tindall's husband opened up following the death of his father, Phil, who passed away last Wednesday following a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Mike paid tribute to his father on the 23 September episode of his podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, sharing: "Unfortunately, my dad passed away last week."

In an episode of their spin-off XTRA podcast show, released over the weekend, the former rugby union player shared further details about his father's final months. 

© The Good, The Bad, and the Rugby

Mike said: "I'm not going to lie, it was a bit of a godsend. He'd been awake, properly, once in the last three weeks. It was a bad three months for him, and it was horrible to see."

The sportsman, who shares three children with Zara, added: "It's a relief that he's free from his body now. He lived a great life, and he didn't owe us anything."

He also said it's "nice" to remember the "better times" they had when Phil was more mobile, including playing with middle daughter Lena, eight.

"Anyone who voted against the Euthanasia thing and hasn't gone through seeing your dad, who you admire so much, go through what he had to go through – it's just unfair," Mike added.

What is Parkinson's disease?

Mike has kept his dad Phil and mum Linda – whom he has described as a "very stoic, northern lady" – out of the spotlight, but the pair are devoted grandparents to Mike and Zara's children: Mia, Lena, and Lucas.

Phil, who also played rugby, battled Parkinson's for 25 years, which Mike said led to complications including the curvature of the spine, as well as posture, dietary and bowel problems. 

Parkinson's is a disease where parts of the brain become progressively damaged, caused by a loss of nerve cells. It mainly affects those over 50. 

© Getty Images

Initially, symptoms are usually mild but may include involuntary shaking, slow movement, stiff muscles, or psychological signs such as depression or anxiety. 

There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but supportive treatments, including surgery, medication or physiotherapy, can help maintain quality of life.

In May, Mike shared that Parkinson's had taken a toll on his father, saying: "Parkinson's is brutal and there is no let-up from how it attacks the body and changes people."

Mike and Zara's most recent public appearances

Amid the heartache felt by the Tindalls this week, Mike and Zara chose to keep things normal for their young family as their eldest daughter Mia, 12, competed at the annual Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, alongside Zara.

The couple stepped out for the Laver Cup last week for the first time since Phil's death. 

© Alamy Stock Photo

They were photographed catching up with Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, with Zara looking elegant in an elevated navy blue pinstripe suit, under which she wore a midnight blue satin shirt.

Over the summer, Princess Anne's daughter and her husband were spotted attending the Wimbledon tennis tournament, Royal Ascot, and the wedding of Zara's brother, Peter Phillips, to NHS nurse Harriet Sperling.