Since announcing the end of their five-year marriage in October, Chloe Madeley and James Haskell have continued to put on a united front for the sake of their two-year-old daughter, Bodhi. To the outside world, they appear to have nailed co-parenting, with the former couple still living together and often enjoying family days out.
But behind closed doors, Chloe, 37, reveals it hasn’t been easy. Chatting candidly to Closer, the personal trainer tells us that she and ex James, 39, don’t always see eye to eye and still experience some “really hard times”. Here, she opens up about how they put their differences aside, what her famous parents – TV’s Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan – have taught her, and getting back into dating…
How are you finding co-parenting?
We have found a way to do it, but it’s not always great. We have really hard times with it sometimes. We also still argue, there’s no denying that and it’ll probably be this way forever. But James and I, whatever our disagreements, are adamant that we won’t weaponise Bodhi or use her as a bargaining tool.
How do you manage to put your differences aside?
When James and I have had a bad day, for whatever reason, we put it behind us through gritted teeth if necessary. We maybe have a little blowout, but always far away from Bodhi and then we crack on. Because, ultimately, we come full circle back to co-parenting harmoniously. That’s the most important thing. Bodhi apart, I’m not interested in things being toxic between me and James. I have never wanted to prolong that for any length of time. We went through that, and it’s mostly done. Like I say, we do still have tricky episodes but there are many days when we are very, very good friends.
Do you think your upbringing has shaped you into the mum you are?
Yeah. I think my parents set a pretty gold standard when it comes to parenting. They’re so kind, warm, generous, funny and intelligent. I really hit the jackpot. Their mantra has always been that the most important thing was that my brothers and I were happy and healthy. I think their ethos has had a trickle-down effect to me. OK – Bodhi’s dad and I aren’t together as a couple – but we are together as her parents. James and I are on the same page when it comes to this.
Are Richard and Judy hands-on grandparents?
Yes and no. If hands-on means that they take Bodhi for the day and have her overnight, then no, they’re not. But they are omni-present in her life. They’re at my house or we’re at their house. They’ve been a huge support system to me since I got pregnant and continue to be so. When she’s a bit older and less likely to, say, run out into the road, then I know they’ll be happy to have her for the day or longer. She’s just too much for them at the moment – I wouldn’t want her to spoil their day.
Your parents have one of the most successful – and lengthy – marriages in showbiz. What’s their secret?
They would honestly say the same thing – that the secret to them having such a long marriage is to not get divorced! They’ve been together for over 40 years and during that time there have been periods where they really struggled, but they kept going and stayed together. I don’t think it was ever bad enough for them to split.
Is it difficult living in the shadow of that?
I never felt pressure to stay with James because of my parents. I wanted very much for my marriage to work out, especially after we had Bodhi, but as time went on, it just became clearer and clearer that it wasn’t working and that we wouldn’t be together for the rest of our lives. You can either stay together and be unhappy, or part and be happy again. We chose the latter.
Are you ready to start dating again?
I’m definitely open to it. I guess I’m what you might call a lazy romantic. I’d quite like to just have someone to sit on the couch with who’d watch Love Island with me, drink wine with me and share a bed with me. But aside from that, I’m not thinking, “I really want a boyfriend or a relationship”. There are just odd moments in my life when I think it would be nice to be with someone. But I’m still really not interested in dating apps. So I actually don’t know how realistic it is that I’ll meet someone. At the moment, I’m so busy with Bodhi and my businesses.
You’re also working as the ambassador for the supplement Symprove…
It’s a unique water-based supplement that is packed full of live, active bacteria – and it helps me maintain a healthy and happy gut. My ex and I have been taking it for years – and I give it to Bodhi now, too.
