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Chloe Madeley has suffered a surprise verbal attack from her ex-husband James Haskell’s mum.
The former England rugby star, 41, is taking part in E4’s new series of Celebs Go Dating, which began on Monday.
In 2023, James split from Chloe – the daughter of TV stars Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan – after five years of marriage.
However, in last night’s episode of the dating show, James’ mum Susie had some stern words for the 38-year-old personal trainer.
Speaking to the camera beforehand, James admitted: ‘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.’
But despite his fears, it appeared his concerns came true after Susie discussed his previous relationships and her former daughter-in-law.
‘I’m not sure where he’s gone wrong because prior to his marriage, I met lots of lovely girlfriends,’ Susie said during a dinner party.
‘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.’
She then continued: ‘In the past he’s been extremely popular. I’ve seen at rugby matches where elderly ladies have got very close to him.
‘He needs someone who can see the softness of him, coupled with quite a brilliant intellect. He’s written seven books. Three of them are on The Times best-seller list.’
James and Chloe have a three-year-old daughter Bodhi, who they said at the time of their split was their ‘sole focus’ and they would be co-parenting ‘with nothing but love’.
In 2024, Chloe opened up about their split, saying how the last year of marriage was ‘dark and incredibly scary’.
The TV personality said: ‘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.
‘The last year of the marriage was awful. It was so dark, painful, and one of the worst periods of my life. It’s a good thing we ended it.’
She went on to The Sun: ‘It was so incredibly scary, especially when you’ve been with someone for 11 years and you have a child together.
‘I’m amazed I got through it in the way that I did. I think more people should see it as a positive thing. I’m so proud of myself and so relieved that I actually called it a day.’
After signing up for Celebs Go Dating, James has gone on a string of dates with women picked by agents Paul C Brunson, Anna Williamson and Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn.
However, the sportsman admitted that he actually turned to his ex Chloe for advice before committing to film the E4 series.
‘I was on the fence, and she encouraged me to go for it,’ she said.
‘She’s a 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.’
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