In an exclusive shoot and interview in HELLO! magazine, I'm a Celebrity star James Haskell and his wife Chloe Madeley reveal they are ready to become parents. The couple, who are celebrating their first wedding anniversary on Monday, tell the magazine how the 17 days of enforced separation they endured while the former England rugby union star was in the jungle made them decide they want to start trying for a baby.
"I'm definitely up for having a baby," says Chloe in her and James's first interview and photoshoot since his departure from the hit show. "Being in the hotel with all the contestants' families and seeing so many little kids running around really made me think. I'm just waiting for my husband to catch up with me," she laughs. "He seems more interested in getting a dog." James, 34, adds: "I'm ready, too. We're both on the same page. But yes, I might sneak a dog in first."
The couple were apart for 17 days
During the shoot, the couple's elation at being together again is tangible. "I couldn't wait to touch, hug and kiss James," says Chloe. "I missed him so much I slept in one of his T-shirts as it smelt like him. "The longest we'd ever been separated was on his Lions rugby tour for two months. But this was the longest without being able to talk to each other. We usually speak on the phone five times a day. So being without James was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through."
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And the break has changed the way the couple see each other. "It made us realise how much we love each other," says Chloe, revealing they're planning on having a second wedding celebration abroad in 2020. "It feels as if we've started a new chapter. We appreciate each other more than ever and realise how much we want each other in our lives. It feels amazing." James adds: "I learnt a lot about our relationship in the jungle. I thought about my wife and everything she does for me. Nobody treats me like she does. It affirmed how lucky I am and that I've met my soulmate."
"Nobody treats me like she does. It affirmed how lucky I am and that I've met my soulmate," said James
James and Chloe will celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Monday. The couple tied the knot at a country church adorned with red roses in an intimate ceremony on 16 December, where guests included TV presenter Zoe Hardman and her husband, and best man and rugby ace Paul Doran Jones. "It was incredible, something I’ve dreamt of since I was a little girl," Chloe said of her big day last year in an exclusive interview with HELLO!. "When I turned the corner inside the church and saw James standing at the end of the aisle, I immediately felt tears streaming down my face. I tried so hard to keep it together but I couldn’t get a grip on it so in the end I just let myself cry."
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James also revealed how he too was overcome with emotion. He told us: "To be honest I wasn’t sure when I saw her whether to smile or cry. The moment she looked at me, I got a tingle in my stomach and couldn’t stop smiling. I have never been more happy."
The couple tied the knot in 2018
The couple also spoke to HELLO! in July about their desire to start a family. "We've gone from one end of the spectrum, where we didn't want children, to the other end where we thought: 'Yes, let’s try it.' Now we’re in the middle, contemplating it as a reality. James is made to be a father. He'll be a brilliant dad," Chloe said at the time.
And if former rugby union player James ever needs advice on fatherhood in the future, he can always turn to his good friend Prince Harry. He told us: "It didn’t surprise me to hear that Harry’s been a hands-on dad with baby Archie. You only have to look at the way he’s applied himself to the rest of his life – he's a war hero, a helicopter pilot, a modern man. I wouldn’t expect anything less."
Pick up this week's issue of HELLO! out on Monday for the full interview.
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