30 October 2023 , 14:53
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Chloe Madeley has shared the one thing she tried to help save her marriage to James Haskell – but it didn’t work.
The personal trainer, who was married to ex-England rugby star James for five years and shares 14-month-old daughter Bodhi with him, announced their shock split over the weekend despite their new reality show about their family life starting on ITV2 earlier this month.
Speaking on the show, 36-year-old Chloe – who is the daughter of daytime telly favourites Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan – revealed the couple had been having problems ever since the pandemic forced the country into lockdown. Things got so bad, the pair sought professional help, but sadly it wasn’t enough to keep them together.
In a chat with James, viewers watched as Chloe said: “We went through a really hard time in lockdown. Our marriage was really quite tested.” In a sign of things to come, rugby player turned DJ James hit back: “It’s not much better now!” Chloe went on to reveal she and James had done couple’s therapy in a bid to get back on track but said they were “still in hell”.
James and Chloe announced they had split after five years of marriage (Instagram)Giving fans an insight into their marriage, she told the camera: “I think it was my way of easing my anxiety about the fact people thought we were an amazing couple, but we were a very tempestuous couple and we’d go through some really hard times.
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“We’re always butting heads, not quite seeing eye to eye...the difficulty in mine and James’ relationship comes from the fact that both of us think we’re in charge. The relationships I know are very calm and tranquil, there’s a dominant and there’s a submissive. James and I are both dominant, so it’s like World War Three.”
The scenes were filmed just a month before Chloe and James separated. After weeks of speculation in which both were spotted not wearing their wedding rings, they finally confirmed it was true over the weekend. In a statement posted to Instagram, Chloe said: “James and I mutually decided separate at the end of September, 2023. We had not planned on releasing a statement at this time - certainly not while the television show was airing - but constant speculation about our marriage has, unfortunately, forced our hand.
“Beyond this statement, we will not be speaking about this matter publicly, and we would request privacy at this time. Our sole focus now is our beautiful daughter. We shall continue to co-parent with nothing but love.“
James later went on to share the same statement on his Instagram page, captioning a screenshot of the statement: “It's with a lot of sadness I write this post, but unfortunately, in the world we live in, it has to be done. My priority is my daughter’s and Chloe’s happiness and security. For that reason, I won't be commenting any further.“
*Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair is on Mondays at 9pm on ITVBe and ITVX