As James Haskell is said to be dating a woman who is the ‘spitting image’ of his ex-wife Chloe Madeley, it’s said that the fitness guru was left ‘shocked’ by the new romance
Following James Haskell’s split from Chloe Madeley in late 2023, the former rugby player has sparked romance rumours with a stunning new woman, which may have left his ex with mixed emotions. James, 39, who co-parents his daughter Bodhi with Chloe, has reportedly started dating Helen Barclay, a 34 year old advertising executive who bears a resemblance to his famous ex.
The pair, who met over a year ago, have been spotted on several cosy dates, including a dinner in Knightsbridge, and have spent time at each other’s homes. A source revealed that Chloe was initially shocked by James’ quick move, saying, “She was a bit shocked at first that James had moved on so quickly. She doesn’t want to be with James or to go back at all, she is over it, but it was a bit of a kick in the teeth for Chloe to see them together at first.”
However, the source added that Chloe, 37, has come to terms with James’ new relationship and is happy for him, knowing that his happiness will benefit their daughter. “She wishes James well and knows that if he’s happy, then he’ll be the best father he can be, so that’s all she wants. She wants James to be there for Bodhi and knows that he will do that best when he’s in a good place, so she’s hoping this relationship will settle him down.”
Just days after rumours of her new romance surfaced, Chloe broke her silence on social media with a defiant post. She shared a snap of herself and her daughter, telling her 291,000 followers: “My 2025 is all about this:” The following day, she posted another picture of herself and Bodhi about to embark on a car journey, soundtracked by Taylor Swift’s So Long, London.
A source claims that while Chloe may consider moving on with someone else in the future, her focus right now is solely on her little girl. “Chloe has realised that things move on and there’s space for her to move on too, but she’s just putting all of her focus on Bodhi right now. There might be love on the horizon for her at some point, but it won’t be anytime soon.”
Meanwhile, James seems to be making no secret of his feelings towards new flame, divorced mum-of-two Helen, flirting online and calling her ‘fit’ under one of her Instagram snaps.
Chloe has been very open about the former couple’s split, which they announced in October 2023, having tied the knot in 2018. Just last month, she admitted candidly that the painful final year of their marriage was “awful, dark, and one of the worst periods of my life.”
The daughter of TV legends Richard and Judy, she recently opened up about her split admitting, “It’s a good thing we ended it. It was so incredibly scary. I’m amazed I got through it in the way that I did.”
Chloe also shed light on what led to their breakup, explaining, “I’m one of those people that needs structure and routine. My ex, and I, I think, one of the reasons things became so hard for us was because he thrives in chaos. His schedule, I don’t even remember when he was in England for a full week.”
She continued, “He’s all over the place and I just can’t do that. Can’t live like that. I think I knew that I was really unhappy,’ she added. “And I think he knew that he was really unhappy too. But I don’t think either of us ever would have predicted that we were going to break up. Ever.”
Last May, Chloe seemed at peace with their split and even the thought of James dating again, confessing, “I decided that I didn’t want to be in my relationship any more, so I don’t get to be angry when he moves on. ” She added, “I’ve heard people say, ‘Well, let’s see how happy they are when there’s new people in the picture’.
“But I’m actually kind of here for James getting a new partner because there’s a lot of positives in it. He’s a great dad and he’s very respectful of Bodhi, so I’m genuinely not worried about that element.”
Hopefully, she still feels that way now. Life can throw us all curveballs when we least expect it – but it sounds very much like Chloe, who runs two successful fitness businesses as well as appearing on TV, is already navigating this new chapter with positivity.
In fact, the star admitted last December that she does want to find love again, with plans to marry and welcome “more kids”, joking: “I’m just hoping some guy is going to fall in my lap and I’ll be like: ‘This is it,’ like a romcom. But that doesn’t happen.”.