Chloe Madeley reveals last year of marriage to James Haskell was ‘dark and incredibly scary’

Chloe Madeley has opened up about the end of her marriage and her split from James Haskell.

The star, 37, who is the daughter of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, announced her split from rugby player James, 39, in October last year.

They share two-year-old daughter Bodhi together, and at the time, said their ‘sole focus’ would be co-parenting ‘with nothing but love’.

Chloe has now spoken about how difficult their last year of marriage was, calling it ‘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.’

Chloe continued by saying she hasn’t gone into detail about her marriage ending as she wants to protect her daughter and her parents from reading about her ‘dark and painful experiences’.

She recalled telling her family about the split, ensuring them that she would be ‘happier’ than if she’d stayed with James.

‘It was very panic-inducing, but if I ever get worried about the future, they remind me what I told them,’ she added, talking about her worries of raising her daughter as a single parent.

‘The fact is, I made the right decision – for all three of us.’

Chloe went on to admit that she thinks she would still be with James had they not welcomed their child together, but insisted Bodhi was one of the main reasons behind her decision, as she didn’t want her daughter to see or hear parts of their relationship and think it was ‘normal’.

‘I would be happier to spend the next 10 years single than to stay in the relationship I was in. I have to keep reminding myself of that,’ she said.

Chloe and James wed in an intimate ceremony at a country church on December 16, 2018, with the Dancing on Ice star later saying: ‘It was incredible, something I’ve dreamt of since I was a little girl.’

I’m A Celebrity star James added: ‘I have never been more happy.’

They welcomed their daughter Bodhi on August 10, 2022, before announcing their split 14 months later.

Ahead of their separation, the couple starred in an ITV reality series, titled Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair, which offered an insight into their life as they became first-time parents.

Metro has approached James’ reps for comment.

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