James Haskell has revealed that he "surprised" Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan following his separation from their daughter, Chloe Madeley. The former rugby union player spoke on the No Parental Guidance podcast about his relationship with Chloe's parents after the couple announced their split in 2023.
Haskell's relationship with Chloe's parents
Haskell, who married Chloe in 2018, said he grew up watching Richard and Judy and described them as "TV royalty." He noted that they were "always really nice" to him, despite initial reservations. "I think it's always hard when someone like me knocks on your door and comes in. Cos they're quite academic, the family. They're not...you know, they're not massive sports fans and stuff," Haskell said. He theorised that when someone like him comes to "take your daughter out," they might think he "hasn't got anything to say. And so I think they were quietly surprised by kind of how I was."
Assurances after the split
Following the separation, Haskell approached Richard and Judy directly to reassure them. "After we separated, I just went to both of them and said, 'Look, you're both massively important grandparents to Bodhi. You and I have always had a good relationship,'" he recounted. He emphasised that divorces are "emotional, dark, difficult, hard" but told them, "I have no issues with you guys. I will never go into the details of our breakdown because it's not relevant to anyone. I will never slag your daughter off. I will never not support you, and I will always come and see you and I will never have any beef my side. My separation is not with you guys." He added that he thinks they were "surprised" by his approach.
Co-parenting focus
Speaking previously to MailOnline at London's Pub in the Park festival, Haskell shed further light on the split, calling it "one of those things in life where some things don't work out." He stressed, "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." The couple, who have a daughter named Bodhi, have kept the reasons for their split private, with Chloe describing the months prior as "incredibly scary."
