CELEBS GO DATING: WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN JAMES HASKELL AND CHLOE MADELEY

There's always space on our TV viewing schedule for another dating show. Especially when that show involves some famous faces.

Celebs Go Dating has returned for another series, bringing with it some more single celebs who are hoping to find love on the show. They'll be supported along the way by our panel of experts: Anna Williamson, Paul C. Brunson (who viewers may recognise from MAFS), and Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn.

Appearing on the E4 programme this year is Married At First Sight's Lucinda Light, Loose Woman Coleen Nolan, Love Island's Gabby Allen, rapper Professor Green, content creator PK Humble, Celebrity Big Brother winner David Potts, as well as former rugby player James Haskell, who revealed that his ex-wife played a huge part in him agreeing to sign up for the show.

James - who split from Chloe Madeley in 2023 - told The Sun how his ex-wife was instrumental in him agreeing to give TV dating a go. 'I was on the fence and she encouraged me to go for it,' he explained, adding, 'She’s my good friend and my co-parent, and we’re very transparent with each other. I feel lucky to have that kind of trust and support. It makes everything feel collaborative, and it’s a relationship I truly value.’

So, who are Chloe and James, and why did they split? Here's what you need to know about this former couple.

Who is James Haskell?

James Haskell is a former rugby union player-turned-MMA fighter, who is currently starring on the newest season of E4's Celebs Go Dating.

Who is Chloe Madeley?

Chloe Madeley is a personal trainer, as well as a TV presenter and author of several healthy recipe books. She's perhaps most well-known among fans for being the daughter of TV stars Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.

When did James and Chloe meet?

Chloe and James first met through social media back in 2014, after James sent a meme of Spongebob to Chloe on Twitter (now X.) The personal trainer previously said, 'When I saw that James was prepared to make a fool of himself for me in front of his 110,000 followers, I changed my mind and agreed to meet up. We bonded over dinner and green tea at a health food restaurant in central London. When he kissed me goodnight, it was game over.'

The couple dated for four years before marrying in 2018, after James proposed while on holiday in Paris. They opted for a ceremony in Berkshire, with Chloe revealed they'd been inspired to take a more traditional route after attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding the previous year.

In August 2022, the couple welcomed their first child together: a baby girl named Bodhi Rae Georgia Haskell.

Why did Chloe Madeley and James Haskell split?

In 2023, James and Chloe announced via a joint statement that their near-decade long relationship had come to an end. The news was a shock to many fans, coming just after the pair had appeared on their own ITV reality show, Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair.

Their statement read: '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.'

At the time, the couple said they would not be sharing any further details of their split to protect their privacy for the sake of their baby daughter. However, Chloe would later call the months leading up to their breakup as being 'incredibly scary,' with James claiming that his drinking habits had contributed to their separation. He said of their split, 'If I put more time into my marriage than I did Guinness, then I wouldn’t be divorced now. It’s one of those things in life where some things don’t work out, but I have so much love for my daughter and Chloe. It’s teamwork. What we all forget is when you have children and a marriage finishes, it’s all about the kids. Chloe and I are amazing co-parents. Our priority is always Bodhi.’

Chloe later told The Sun, 'When you tell people that you are divorcing, everyone sees it as such a negative thing. They say, “This is going to be so hard for you.” And yes, it is, but the hardest bit was when we were married.’

Saying that the ‘last year of the marriage was awful,’ she added, ‘It was so dark, painful, and one of the worst periods of my life […]I’m amazed I got through it in the way that I did. I’m so proud of myself and so relieved that I actually called it a day.’

However, it seems there's now nothing but love between this former couple. Speaking in May 2026, James insisted the pair were on good terms. Calling Chloe a 'good friend,' he gushed, 'I want Bodhi to know how much I respect her mum because she's a proper badass. Everything I fell in love with in her - her intelligence, her strength, all of it - is what I still look for in people.'

What has James said about his marriage on Celebs Go Dating?

It wasn't James who weighed in on his previous relationships during a recent episode of the E4 dating show, but his mum, Susie. Speaking to cameras before the scenes, James told producers, 'Mum is an absolute loose cannon at the best of times. I am dreading what's going to come out of her mouth. As long as she does not upset my ex.'

Sitting down at the dinner party, Susie was quick to share her thoughts on her son's love life. She said, 'I'm not sure where he's gone wrong, because prior to his marriage I met lots of lovely girlfriends. Each of them just loved me, which is a bonus. I do have quite a strong opinion on why I think it went wrong. You can’t have two stars because you have them competing for the floor space the whole time.’

Adding that her son has been ‘extremely popular’ in the past, Susie continued, ‘He needs someone who can see the softness of him, coupled with quite a brilliant intellect.’

Celebs Go Dating airs Monday to Fridays on E4.

Like this? Get more Grazia content straight to your browser. Click here to add Grazia as a preferred source on Google.

Charlotte Roberts is a writer at Grazia UK, specialising in SEO. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment - from film review roundups to cast explainers.