James Haskell spotted with new flame: Who is Sara McLean?

2023 WAS A YEAR OF UNEXPECTED CELEBRITY BREAKUPS

James Haskell, former England rugby ace, has never been one to shy away from the limelight—or the ladies. But since his dramatic split from fitness influencer Chloe Madeley in 2023, the 39-year-old has been playing it cool in the dating department—until now. The sports star made a bold statement at Cheltenham Festival, strutting hand-in-hand with none other than Big Brother bombshell and beauty queen Sara McLean.

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The pair arrived at the prestigious racing event looking every inch the glamorous couple. The duo were spotted holding hands fuelling speculation that things are heating up between them.

While James’ love life has been the subject of much speculation, his latest public outing confirms he’s moving on. But who is Sara McLean, and how does she fit into James' high-profile romantic history? Here’s everything we know so far.

Who is Sara McLean?

As reported by Daily Mail, Sara McLean first rose to fame as a contestant on Big Brother, where she made waves with her outspoken personality and admiration for the monarchy. Beyond her reality TV fame, Sara has built an impressive career of her own. She co-founded a recruitment business in 2016, showing that she’s more than just a celebrity socialite. She also attended the prestigious George Watson’s College in Edinburgh, where annual tuition fees cost around £9,800.

Her love life

The Scottish reality star, a former Miss Edinburgh, has had her fair share of the limelight, particularly due to her high-profile dating history. Over the years, she’s been linked to some major sports personalities, including former footballer Tim Howard, cricketer Shane Warne, and rugby player Ben Cohen.

Sara’s love life has often made headlines, with each romance adding to her reputation as someone drawn to elite athletes. She was engaged to US World Cup goalkeeper Tim Howard, though she later admitted she had little knowledge of football before dating him. In 2015, she was spotted flaunting a large diamond ring, hinting at their potential engagement, but the relationship fizzled out shortly after.

Following her split from Tim, Sara briefly dated rugby star Ben Cohen, whose own love life had been under scrutiny following his divorce. Representatives confirmed that their romance lasted just three months before ending on amicable terms.

Sara’s connection to cricket legend Shane Warne, who also dated Elizabeth Hurley, turned heads as well. The pair were spotted together in 2016. Adding to her impressive roster of past flames, Sara was also linked to TOWIE star Mario Falcone, after the two were seen partying together in London.

Sara has two children with her former partner, sales director Peter Lloyd, marking a shift in her lifestyle from her wild Big Brother days to motherhood. But now, it seems, she’s rekindling her love life in the spotlight—this time with James Haskell.

James Haskell spotted with another woman earlier this year

Before being linked to Sara, James was rumoured to be dating advertising executive Helen Barclay. As reported by Daily Mail, James, 39, and Helen, 34, were seen enjoying several low-key dates in London throughout 2024. Insiders revealed the two bonded over their respective marriage splits, and while they didn’t say they were ‘exclusive,’ their chemistry was undeniable.

The pair were spotted together at high-end restaurants like Knightsbridge’s Clap, where an onlooker described that they ‘didn’t seem to notice anybody else in the restaurant and spent the whole time looking into each other’s eyes.’

James had also been actively engaging with Helen’s Instagram, leaving flirtatious comments and adding fuel to the dating rumours. Reportedly, he labelled her ‘fit’ on social media. A source said at that time:

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.

The insider added:

The relationship is still in its early stages but both James and Helen are unsure where it will end up.

They’re not putting any pressure on it and are just having fun together. They’re exactly what they both need right now.

However, their romance never seemed to reach a serious stage. Their brief romance was never publicly confirmed by either of the two parties and now it seems Haskell has moved on with McLean.

James’ romantic escapades come just months after his ex-wife, Chloe Madeley, opened up about the reasons behind their split.

Chloe Madeley on her divorce and moving on

In an interview with The Sun, Chloe revealed that the last year of their marriage was particularly difficult. She explains:

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.

Chloe explained that their differing lifestyles played a major role in the breakdown of their relationship, with James travelling frequently for DJ gigs while she focused on raising their two-year-old daughter, Bodhi.

Despite the challenges, Chloe has maintained that she and James have an amicable co-parenting relationship. She even predicted that he would move on before she did. She previously said:

It'll probably happen for James long before it happens to me if it hasn’t already.

While James appears to be settling into a new relationship, Chloe has taken a more relaxed approach to dating. Speaking in a Q&A on Instagram, she confirmed, as reported by Mirror:

If I met the right person, I would for sure. But it's not something I want to do enough alone, if that makes sense. I change my mind about this a lot though, so you might have gotten a different answer from me last week.