Joe Marler has revealed he anticipated backlash for his podcast interview with Prince Harry, but was surprised by the level of vitriol on social media. The retired England rugby star, 36, spoke to the Duke of Sussex for his podcast, Joe Marler Will See You Now, last month, and the episode became one of the show's most candid and hilarious yet.
Surreal Encounter with Royalty
Marler, who gained fame on The Celebrity Traitors, said he was nervous before the interview. "We put some prep in but it crept up on us and I was nervous, thinking about the whole thing and also the polarising public opinion of it," he told the Mirror. "Jake just said, 'Calm down and think about what we want to achieve from having him as a guest.' I knew I liked him. I was Team Harry, if there were teams or whatever."
When Harry arrived, the meeting was more casual than expected. "He just comes straight in, said, 'Hi guys, how you doing?' And comes over and hugs me, and then hugs Jake. Within 90 seconds, it was like talking to a normal person so I thought let's just treat him accordingly, and we did," Marler said.
Backlash and Reflection
Marler acknowledged he knew there would be backlash to the interview. "I knew that there would be some level of backlash to whatever question or whatever answer he gave," he said. "But I didn't want that to stop me and Jake from being genuine and in the moment. I wanted him and us to be present and to have the experience. I didn't want to overthink things or not ask a particular question because of how it might be received. But the level of vitriol that comes with him, the social media backlash... What is the matter with some people?"
Since retiring from international rugby in November 2024, Marler has focused on family life with wife Daisy and their children. He said retirement has given him time to reflect on the sacrifices his family made during his career. "You have to be incredibly selfish and self-driven, and you have to sacrifice a lot," he shared. "And if you have a family they have to sacrifice a lot and get on board with it too. The only thing now is I probably have less time on my hands because I say yes to pretty much everything that sounds fun and exciting!"
New Ventures: Gladiators and Book
Marler is set to appear as "Mauler" in the new series of Gladiators, a role his children are excited about. "My kids love it, particularly my youngest boy," he said. "When the call came in to say, 'We'd like you to be a Gladiator if you fancy it,' it was a definite yes. But then I asked if I could be the first Gladiator to wear baggy clothes. They told me, 'That's not really how we do Gladiators here, mate.' So, I'm going to need a little bit of time to get as close to Gladiator-ready as possible."
He also has his second book, Joe Marler Vs The World, imminent, and continues to campaign for men's mental health, a cause he has championed since writing about his own struggles in his 2020 autobiography.
Marler is currently fronting the Babybel Protein 'Fit It In' campaign, which encourages small, achievable healthy habits. "You don't have to do a million different things," he said. "You don't have to take on the latest fad, there's just small changes you can make to your life to make things easier and better."
Reflecting on his recent success, Marler said, "It's such a cliché and so minging to say out loud, but there's no other way of putting it – Traitors changed my life. The last 12 months have been wild."
