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James Haskell is dating a glamorous advertising executive, the ex-England rugby star’s first romance since his marriage split from Chloe Madeley, MailOnline can reveal.
James, 39, has been seeing stunning 34-year old Helen Barclay – who bears a striking resemblance to Chloe, for just over a year – but the relationship has become more serious in recent months with the pair enjoying an increasing number of dates and spending time at each other’s houses, MailOnline can reveal.
They were snapped on a romantic dinner date at Knightsbridge restaurant Clap on Saturday night and James has been commenting on Helen’s Instagram photos, labelling her “fit” as their online flirting ramps up a gear.
An insider claims the pair grew close after bonding over their respective marriage splits, as mother-of-two Helen recently split from her husband of two years having been together for over a decade.
The source said: ‘James and Helen have kept their relationship relatively low-key, enjoying dates at coffee shops and restaurants, and going for walks since the latter end of 2023.
‘But recently they’ve started to see more of each other and they’re enjoying each other’s company. They haven’t said they’re exclusive yet but they’re certainly dating.
James Haskell is dating a glamorous advertising executive Helen Barclay (pictured), his first romance since his marriage split from Chloe Madeley, MailOnline can reveal
They were snapped on a romantic dinner date at Knightsbridge restaurant Clap on Saturday night and James has been commenting on Helen’s Instagram photos, labelling her ‘fit’
James’s ex-wife Chloe the mother of his two-year-old daughter Bodhi, revealed last month she knows the former Wasps flanker has been “having fun” seeing other people
‘They have a lot in common, especially both coming out of marriage splits. It’s fair to say they’ve helped each other in what has been a tough period of their lives.’
MailOnline has approached James’s representatives for comment.
It’s believed James and Helen, a divorced mother-of-two who is a who is a high-flying director at advertising giants WPP, were introduced via a mutual friend who appreciated they’d both experienced similar relationship heartbreak.
They were pictured together last March after enjoying a date at Chiltern Firehouse, but at the time Helen’s identity was not revealed.
The insider added: ‘The relationship is still in its early stages but both James and Helen are unsure where it will end up.
‘James’s work and his love of DJing means nothing is straight forward, and Helen has two kids, so it’s harder to simply down tools and visit him abroad when he’s playing in some cool nightclub overseas.
‘But they’re not putting any pressure on it and are just having fun together. They’re exactly what they both need right now.’
The couple were seen on Saturday night at the exclusive sushi restaurant in Knightsbridge Clap, located around the corner from Harrods, offering ribeye steaks at £98, a starter Scallops & Foie Gras at £52.50 and cocktails for £19, and is favoured by celebs and footballers like Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.
Mother-of-two Helen recently split from her husband of two years having been together for over a decade
Helen and James were pictured together last March after enjoying a date at Chiltern Firehouse (pictured), but at the time her identity was not revealed
Helen (centre) poses with two friends for an undated Instagram picture during an overseas beach holiday
It’s believed James and Helen, a divorced mother-of-two who is a who is a high-flying director at advertising giants WPP, were introduced via a mutual friend
The couple tucked into sushi and downed cocktails as they chatted for more than two hours.
An onlooker said: ‘They didn’t seem to notice anybody else in the restaurant and spent the whole time looking into each other’s eyes. They were laughing, joking and holding hands.
‘When they had finished their meal, they took a corner table and were kissing and cuddling, and it was clear they are really close. It was like they were on a first date.’
James’s ex-wife Chloe, 37, the mother of his two-year-old daughter Bodhi, revealed last month she knows the former Wasps flanker has been “having fun” seeing other people, but maintained the pair still have a healthy relationship as they continue to co-parent.
They announced their split in October 2023 after several months of speculation their marriage was on the rocks.
James and Chloe, who married in 2018 and share daughter Bodhi, two, confirmed they had split in a joint statement released in October last year
Helen is seen leaving Clap restaurant in Knightsbridge following a dinner date with James on Saturday evening
‘The relationship is still in its early stages but both James and Helen are unsure where it will end up,’ a friend told MailOnline
During Chloe’s ITV reality show, Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair, which aired around the same time they announced their split, cracks in their relationship were apparent, especially clashes over James’s new lifestyle which involved DJing abroad and partying with glamorous women, while his wife took care of most of the parenting duties back home.
Speaking to The Sun last month, Chloe – the daughter of veteran TV couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan – admitted the latter stages of their marriage was “awful”, “dark” and “painful”.
Chloe 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. It was so incredibly scary. 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.’
The marketing executive shows off her abs in a selfie. She is understood to have met James last year
They were pictured together last March after enjoying a date at Chiltern Firehouse, but at the time Helen’s identity was not revealed
After their split, the couple still lived together in their north London home and were often spotted together with Bodhi as they tried to be as amicable as they could for their little girl.
Despite some fans thinking the two were back together because of this, Chloe confirmed that they had both moved on, adding she expects the former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star to find a new partner before she does.
She said: ‘It’ll probably happen for James long before it happens to me if it hasn’t already.
‘I’m waiting for the conversation to happen at some point.”
Tensions were high before the couple split, with Haskell even claiming Chloe treats him “like a dog” and likened their relationship to “World War Three”.
In one episode of their reality show before their break-up was announced, James moaned: ‘She shushes me like I’m a dog or like I’m a baby. I’m like “shush me again and that’s the last thing you’ll ever do.”‘
Chloe went on to explain: ‘The difficulty in mine and James’ relationship comes from the fact that both of us think we’re in charge.’
Chloe has now started dating again but ‘nothing feels right’ for her yet – as she admitted James has been seeing other people and ‘having fun’
Confirming the end of their marriage in a statement in October 2023, the couple said: ‘Chloe and I mutually decided to separate at the end of September, 2023.
‘We had not planned on releasing a statement at this time – certainly not while the television show was airing – but constant speculation about our marriage has, unfortunately, forced our hand.’
She added: ‘Beyond this statement, we will not be speaking about this matter publicly, and we would request privacy at this time.
‘Our sole focus now is our beautiful daughter. We shall continue to co-parent with nothing but love.’
Sharing his own statement on Instagram, James said: ‘It’s with a lot of sadness I write this post, but unfortunately, in the world we live in, it has to be done.
‘My priority is my daughter’s and Chloe’s happiness and security. For that reason, I won’t be commenting any further.’