CELEBS Go Dating muscle man James Haskell says he has finally learnt from his past mistakes and patched up his “toxic” relationship with Chloe Madeley.
Three years after their marriage collapsed, the warring pair have buried the hatchet and are now on friendly terms for the sake of their four-year-old daughter.
James Haskell and then-wife Chloe Madeley after he left the I’m A Celebrity camp in 2019 Credit: Brian Roberts – The Sun
James’ DJ set at Twickenham in 2023 Credit: https://www.instagram.com/jameshaskell/
Former England rugby ace , who now works as a DJ, revealed that he has finally “unlearned” his past mistakes.
He said: “In the last six or seven years, I’ve retired, had a kid, got divorced, lost my dad, and changed my career.”
, the daughter of TV presenters and , in September 2023 — just 13 months after Bodhi was born.
Chloe had said that the last year of their marriage was “awful” and plunged her into depression.
In the months leading up to their split, James was seen partying at London nightclubs and in Ibiza with a bikini-wearing lookalike of his wife.
After their high-profile break-up, James admitted he “probably didn’t support her enough” during their marriage.
Now outspoken James, who ruffled feathers on in 2019, insists his newfound maturity means the pair now get along better than ever.
He said: “Of course, it’s always emotional when you separate and people always want to pin down divorce to one thing.
“But do most relationships break down because communication isn’t good? Yes.
“It’s also very easy when you separate to point fingers.
“Often all you hear separated couples say is, their partner did this and their partner did that. But I would never criticise Chloe in front of my daughter.
“She’s a force of nature. She’s a badass businesswoman. She’s a best-selling author. She helps loads of women with her coaching business and if you want a role model for a mum, it’s her.
“It’s also made me think about what a model dad should look like for my daughter, and I know that the way I treat her mother will affect the way she thinks men can treat her in the future.
“So I sat down and said, ‘What is it I can do better next time? How can I change the things that I did?’
“I don’t want to put words into Chloe’s mouth, but I think she would agree that the bits that I needed to work on, I’m better at now.
“Does that mean the relationship would work now? No.
James with Bodhi in 2023 Credit: Instagram
James on Bondi Beach with sports presenter Alex Payne, left, and rugby pal Mike Tindall Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
“But it does mean that we have a very good co-parenting relationship.
“I’m always aware that I need to improve and find the best way to make sure that Chloe feels safe and secure and happy, so she can be an amazing mum for my daughter.
“It’s not easy, and you get things wrong, but you’ve got a four-year-old who is not going anywhere.
“Chloe is an incredible mum, an incredible woman, and I want my daughter to know that.
“And I also want her to feel like she has the two of us as a safety net, and that, as parents, we are together.
“The foundation and self-awareness that therapy has given me has helped me realise it’s not about what we want, it’s about our daughter.”
When called time on their five-year marriage, the super-fit personal trainer described their final year together as “toxic”, “dark”, and “incredibly scary”.
Although James swiftly dismissed rumours he had been unfaithful, he admits his excessive travelling workload put a strain on their young family.
He also accepts that spending ten years at boarding schools, including £62,000-a-year Wellington College in Berkshire, followed by a glittering sporting career in the macho rugby world, warped his attitudes towards women.
James said: “Did I come out the most well-rounded individual after being at a boarding school? The answer is no.”
James added: “Was I exposed to women as equals? No, I wasn’t.
“Have I had to unlearn different things, particularly after going into professional sport? Yes.
“I haven’t got all the answers, and I made mistakes, but I’ve spent a lot of time working on myself and I advocate lots of positive things.”
While he admits in his past he hasn’t always got things right, he’s now a very different man.
James hosts the Good, Bad And The Rugby podcast with former pro , who is married to daughter .
He also remains close friends with , regularly sharing parenting tips with them.
James with Chloe after their split and daughter Bodhi in 2024 Credit: madeleychloe/Instagram
James’s rehabilitation extends into his dating life, culminating in his recent appearance on Celebs Go Dating Credit: Getty Images – Getty
James, whose new track Balonga was released this week, said: “That doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll become a role model.”
He also condemned ‘manosphere’ influencers whose toxic content has spread across social media.
“I am not the complete answer, and I will continue to make mistakes,” he said.
“One person who is definitely not the answer is Andrew Tate and manosphere influencers like him.
“My mum, who was the mother of two boys, was always adamant about consent and about being a gentleman, so I understand how important all those things are. People like Tate are just snake oil salesmen — every single one of them.
“But then on the other hand, ardent feminists are not the answer, and neither are the pseudo-crusaders who glue themselves to motorways.”
Since his divorce, he has had brief romances with advertising executive Helen Barclay and star , before turning to the TV cupids on Celebs Go Dating.
James’s rehabilitation extends into his dating life, culminating in his recent appearance on the E4 show, where he admitted that he would love to have taken 61-year-old fellow singleton “for a spin”.
He said: “Coleen is an incredible woman and one of the funniest human beings that I’ve ever met.
“But seriously, I’m not getting married any time soon, and I have no nagging hole in my life to fill, although if you meet the right person then 100 per cent yes.”
When he is DJ’ing James says: “Honestly, I rarely get hit on.” But when asked if he’d had underwear thrown at him while behind the decks, James laughed and confirmed sadly he hadn’t.
He added: “It’s definitely not like Tom Jones, although I did once get hit in the face by a big pair of Y-fronts, but I think they belonged to a bloke.”
But Loose Women panellist Coleen is not the only older lady to have caught his eye Credit: Getty
James said: ‘Susie Dent? She’s a beautiful woman and my ability to articulate myself would go through the roof’ Credit: PA
On , James was delighted to be branded sapiosexual.
He ended up dating Dottie, although he said “their lifestyles didn’t quite line up” after the cameras stopped rolling and they got back to their normal lives.
He explained: “I learnt a lot about myself on the show. I was described as sapiosexual, which basically means I’m attracted to intelligence, energy, a vibe. I’m excited by life.
“I’m probably a bit of a sweetheart underneath the rough exterior and I think it’s important to be a man, to be strong and to be a protector, but also to be vulnerable and to listen.
“Confidence is important to me. I don’t care if someone is more successful than me or earns more than me.
“I’m attracted to the drive, the desire and the ability to have self-awareness. Appearance-wise, it doesn’t really matter.
“The only caveat is that they look after themselves.
“They don’t have to be in mad shape, but just someone that takes care of themselves.”
But panellist Coleen is not the only older lady to have caught his eye.
He said: “Kathy Burke? Amazing. One of the funniest women there is. Incredible. Fatima Whitbread? She could teach me a thing or two — certainly about training.
“And Susie Dent? She’s a beautiful woman and my ability to articulate myself would go through the roof.
“They’d all present quite a challenge, but whether they would like what on the surface looks like a doorman, you never know. But hopefully my charm, if that exists, would win them over.”
James said: ‘Kathy Burke? Amazing. One of the funniest women there is. Incredible’ Credit: Getty
James said: ‘Fatima Whitbread? She could teach me a thing or two — certainly about training’ Credit: Rex
One place James will not be looking for love is on dating apps.
He said: “I’ve never been on one. I’d rather speak to people.
“I love the danger of going out and talking to people.
“I’m always polite.
“I read people well and I’ve got emotional intelligence, so I’d never approach a girl in the middle of the night walking home on a road. The last time I approached a girl in the pub, I said, ‘Listen, I’d love to give you my number — there’s no pressure if you’d like to message me.’ And she did.
“I didn’t have enough time to date her, but it was a nice idea.”
With his staggering self-confidence and his eye for a feisty female, perhaps James’s natural next destination is Parliament.
He said: “Ten years ago, you’d probably have to have had an immaculate record to even consider a career in politics, and I’ve certainly put my foot in it a number of times.
“I’ve made errors. I’ve blotted my copy book too many times.
“But now we look at people in power and perhaps I’m overqualified. So who knows?”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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