Chloe Madeley has been subjected to a surprise verbal attack from her ex-husband James Haskell's mother, Susie, during the latest episode of Celebs Go Dating. The former England rugby star, 41, joined the E4 dating show, which premiered on Monday, following his split from Chloe in 2023 after five years of marriage.
Susie's Sharp Comments
In the episode, James expressed his anxiety about his mother's participation, calling her 'an absolute loose cannon.' He said, 'I am dreading what's going to come out of her mouth. As long as she does not upset my ex.' However, his fears were realized when Susie, during a dinner party, discussed his previous relationships and directly criticized Chloe.
Susie remarked, '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 a quite 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 added, '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.'
Chloe's Previous Statements
James and Chloe share a three-year-old daughter, Bodhi, and have committed to co-parenting amicably. In 2024, Chloe opened up about their divorce, describing the final year of their marriage as 'dark and incredibly scary.' She 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. 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 continued, '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.'
James Seeks Chloe's Advice
Despite the strained family dynamics, James revealed that he turned to Chloe for advice before signing up for Celebs Go Dating. He said, 'I was on the fence, and she encouraged me to go for it. 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.'
