James Haskell has never been one to avoid the limelight, but the former England rugby star’s path to fame has been filled with both missteps and ambitions.
Speaking to The Mirror, Haskell opened up about the moments that shaped him, from a school scandal to his current love for reality TV.
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The Wellington College Controversy
In his teenage years, Haskell found himself at the centre of a scandal that led to his suspension from the prestigious Wellington College. Reflecting on the incident, he shared:
“My friend was sleeping with a girl. He asked me if I had a camera. I said, ‘Yeah.’ We set it up in a cupboard.
“Obviously, that was wrong. One of our classmates sold the story and then we were on the front pages. Would I do it again? No. But it’s difficult as a 17-year-old in a boarding school because you just think something will be funny.”
Looking back, Haskell admitted to The Times that his actions were “stupid” rather than rebellious, attributing his behaviour to his “pretty privileged” upbringing.
Eyes on Reality TV
Years after the boarding school scandal, Haskell hinted at his enthusiasm for reality TV—though he has been careful about which opportunities to pursue. While he turned down Strictly Come Dancing to avoid the “Strictly curse” impacting his marriage to Chloe Madeley, he hasn’t ruled out future appearances.
“I would definitely do reality TV again. I’d be really keen to do it. I just think some of the formats have been done to death now, and I would like to do something that was slightly different.
“Loads of rugby players have done Strictly, and I just think it’s a bit of a minefield at the moment with everything that’s going on there. I’d love to do Celebrity SAS. I’m just a massive show-off and performer,” he admitted.
From boarding school scandal to reality TV ambitions, Haskell’s journey continues to captivate both fans and critics alike.
Haskell diagnosis:
Haskell, who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of eight, has impressively organised his life to accommodate his condition, despite knowing very little about it.
In the interview with George Simms, he admitted that he has never actively worked to understand his diagnosis but unintentionally manages its symptoms.
He took Ritalin for nine years, but had to stop when he was selected for England’s 2003 U19 Six Nations squad, as it is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
This is the first interview I’ve done about ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder],” he told I News.
“I’ve talked more about it now than I ever have before.”
“I’ve done some pretty stupid s**t”, he added, yet he is now perhaps the highest-profile British athlete to discuss their diagnosis at length.
“Now I’ve retired, I struggle with the monotony of doing one consistent thing,
“In rugby, there was never an end. You could always get better, do more. If I had good coaches and purposeful training, I never got bored. If I hadn’t had sport as a spine to support everything I did, everything would have been much worse.
“MMA was an opportunity to push myself physically, but still perform with a big crowd,
“DJing is performing in front of a crowd. Writing books and podcasting are both storytelling, performing. Everything I do is centred around performing, danger, testing yourself, basically getting paid to be an attention seeker.”
We recommend you read the full interview here.
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Joe Marler’s dream team:
Marler’s cheeky selection features seven All Blacks legends in his team, with three from Ireland, two Welsh, two Australians and a Fijian nicknamed ‘The Bus’.
FRONT-ROW
1. Tony Woodcock (New Zealand)
2. Rory Best (Ireland)
3. Carl Hayman (New Zealand)
SECOND-ROW
4. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
5. Paul O’Connell (Ireland)
BACK-ROW
6. Jerome Kaino (New Zealand)
7. Justin Tipuric (Wales)
8. Kieran Read (New Zealand)
HALFBACKS
9. Will Genia (Australia)
10. Dan Carter (New Zealand)
CENTRES:
12. Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand)
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
BACK-THREE:
11. Siteveni Sivivatu (New Zealand)
14. Josua Tuisova (Fiji)
15. Israel Folau (Australia)
On selecting Folau as his fullback, Marler commented, “On the night out, after we had played our match on the Saturday, I’d take him out in Brighton to The Blue Oyster… a couple of clubs.”
Can you name every England Rugby captain of the professional era?
Whether it’s the grit of Will Carling in the 90s, the tactical brilliance of Martin Johnson, or the fearless leadership of Owen Farrell, this quiz will challenge even the most dedicated fans.
Think you can name them all? Grab your boots and let’s see how well you know the men who led England into battle on the world stage!
