James Haskell says his wife Chloe Madeley is “the glue that holds everything together” in his life

He gushed: “I knew she was The One when I was in hospital, recovering from another operation, and she was haranguing hospital staff, offering to pay for a bed in hospital so she could be by my side.

“I knew then she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Chloe is the glue that holds everything together. She looked after me when I was injured and down, she nursed me back to health.

“She stayed by my side, and she learned about rugby when she knew absolutely nothing about the game before meeting me. Plus, she’s fit ?.?.?.? and sometimes funny.”

James also says he and Chloe - who is the daughter of TV legends Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan - have discussed how many people they’d slept with before they started dating.

The sports star insists he wanted “no part” in the game because he thinks those numbers are “completely irrelevant” - but 33-year-old Chloe estimates his figure is around 1,000.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, James explained: “Chloe claims that I’ve slept with 1,000 women.

“My wife and I did the numbers game [where each partner says how many people they have slept with] and I was having absolutely no part in it.

“Instead I said the standard response of 12 — no more, and no less. All that stuff, it’s completely irrelevant. Do I need to go into the minutiae of details of the past? No.

“I’ve always joked about that concept that there’s no point going to heaven with a load of virgins as they don’t know what they are doing. I can’t think of anything worse.

“Chloe and I have a relationship of trust. Though Chloe also claims every time she goes to the gym I watch porn.”