Former England rugby international James Haskell has been seen navigating a flight of stairs with significant difficulty, after suffering a painful leg injury. The 40-year-old's physical struggle comes just days after his ex-wife, Chloe Madeley, described feeling 'relieved' that their five-year marriage had ended.
Hobbled Haskell's Staircase Challenge
On Tuesday, the retired sportsman shared a video with his Instagram followers showing the extent of his mobility issues. Haskell was filmed during a meeting with record producer and label manager Stephen Tempest, known as DJ S.K.T, laboriously attempting to pull his hulking frame up and down an office stairway.
To manage the task, he relied on a detachable support to carry his weight. His lower right leg was encased in a cumbersome surgical boot, and he also clutched a hospital-issue walking aid, with a rucksack slung over his shoulders. Joking about the situation, Haskell told his followers: 'Peg man on the move.' The cause of his injury remains unclear.
Madeley's 'Dark' Assessment of Their Marriage
Haskell's physical setback follows a series of candid revelations from his ex-wife, influencer and fitness coach Chloe Madeley. The 38-year-old daughter of TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan recently spoke on the No Parental Guidance podcast, offering a damning assessment of the final year of their union.
'The last year of the marriage was awful,' she stated. 'It was so dark, painful, and one of the worst periods of my life. It’s a good thing we ended it.' Madeley, who co-parents their three-year-old daughter, Bodhi, with Haskell, expressed her relief at having called time on the relationship.
She recalled the pain of separation and seeing her ex-husband partying with mystery women in the aftermath. Despite the difficulty, she worked hard to shield both her daughter and her famous parents from the 'dark and painful' details, though she usually confides in them about everything.
Public Co-Parenting and Private Realities
Despite the pointed comments, both parties have publicly emphasised their commitment to constructive co-parenting. Appearing on ITV's This Morning recently, Haskell praised Madeley as an 'amazing mum' and a 'talented and smart' woman.
He acknowledged that while their co-parenting journey has its good and bad days, the priority is always their daughter. 'When you separate, the priority always becomes the child and your egos don't matter,' he said. He also cautioned that social media often presents a false image, as 'you never post about the bad stuff.'
For her part, Madeley praised her parents as her 'emotional cheerleaders,' acknowledging they likely didn't want the marriage to end due to their 'old-school mentality' about the family unit. However, she assured them she would be happier apart, a feeling she strongly maintains.
