Celebrity Big Brother in ‘advance talks’ with huge name months after split from TV star wife

The rumoured line-up is shaping up! (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

James Haskell, the son-in-law of Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley, is said to have been hotly tipped to be taking part in Celebrity Big Brother.

In October last year, the former rugby union player and Richard's daughter, Chloe Madeley, confirmed that they had split after five years of marriage.

In a statement, the couple – whose daughter Bodhi was born in August 2022 – explained that they had mutually decided to separate, stating: 'Our sole focus now is our beautiful daughter. We shall continue to co-parent with nothing but love.'

Last year, the reboot of Big Brother on ITV proved a massive success, with fan-favourite Jordan Sangha soaring to victory to win the mega cash prize of £100,000.

Since the grand finale in November, there's been growing speculation about the celebrity spin-off, with names including Louis Walsh, Max Bowden, Bimini and Katie Price rumoured to be joining the line-up.

Another name that's come up is James, 38, who took part in I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2019 and was the fourth star to be eliminated.

ITV bosses are said to be very keen for James to join the cast (Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images) The rugby player married Richard Madeley's daughter, Chloe (Picture: ITV)

'James has brilliant potential as a housemate. He's a great character and is incredibly likeable,' a source told The Mirror.

'He's also single after splitting from Chloe, and he was really open about that in his meeting.'

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According to the insider, Big Brother bosses think that James' 'openness would be 'fantastic for the show, and people would really warm to him'.

'But he is also not afraid to call a spade a spade and will speak his mind, which was another characteristic that really appealed to the bookers,' they stated.

Chloe and James were married for five years (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock)

In 2023, James and Chloe starred in a reality TV show together titled Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair.

On the programme, Chloe, 36, opened up about the difficulties she and James faced in their marriage during lockdown, saying on camera: 'We went through a really hard time in lockdown – our marriage was really quite tested'

She explained how they decided to go to couple's therapy, continuing: 'I think it was my way of easing my anxiety about the fact people thought we were an amazing couple, but we were a very tempestuous couple and we'd go through some really hard times.

'I like that – I know it sounds silly – but I do think it's important for people to be able to relate to what's normal in a relationship, what's not so normal, where the boundaries are.'

Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV and James Haskell's representatives for comment.

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