The ‘kiss of death’ shows plaguing celeb romances – from Chloe’s Madeley ‘shush’ storm to Olivia’s Attwood’s ‘text’ hell
We're all familiar with the curse of Strictly, but it seems a new pattern of relationship break ups is emerging - the 'reality show kiss of death.'
Personal trainer Chloe Madeley, 38, and her ex rugby player hubby James Haskell, 38 are the most recent couple to have parted ways after bagging their own reality series.
The ITVBe show, Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair, was supposed to document the run up to the first birthday of their daughter Bodhi, but instead highlighted increasing tensions in the couple's relationship.
In one scene, Chloe branded the former England Rugby World Cup star turned Ibiza DJ ‘a k***head’ after seeing photos of him partying with bikini-clad girls in Ibiza, while James claimed she "treated him like a dog."
So it may not have come as the biggest surprise to viewers when they announced their split while the reality series was still airing.
But, it turns out they're not the only ones, with a whole host of other celebrity couples falling victim to a similar fate after signing on the dotted line for their own reality shows...
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Chloe Madeley and James Haskell - September 2023
Chloe Madeley, 36, and Wasps and England rugby star James Haskell, 38, have never been shy when it comes to packing on the PDA or talking about their steamy sex life.
However, viewers saw a very different side to their relationship when they filmed their ITVBe reality show 'Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair,' which aired earlier this year.
In tense scenes, Chloe could be heard branding her spouse a k***head after he shared clips of women in bikinis to Instagram while he was in Ibiza for a DJ gig.
After viewing her husband's social media clips, an "embarrassed" Chloe fumed: "He's on Instagram uploading videos and photos of all these girls and I was like I will kill you. I will fly to Ibiza and kill you."
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But James hit back: "Well go and speak to a therapist, it's not my problem."
In another episode, tensions between the couple - who were in very passionate relationship for eight years and married for more than four - reached a climax when James claimed that his wife treated him "like a dog."
Storming out of the room as they prepared to record their podcast, he raged: "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.'"
Announcing their split, the pair said in a joint statement: “James and I mutually decided 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.
“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."
Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti - June 2023
After being crowned the winners of Love Island 2022, it wasn't long before Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti returned to our screens with their own ITV2 show.
'Ekin-Su & Davide: Homecomings,' which aired in November of that year, saw the couple travel across Europe - splitting their time between Davide’s home country of Italy and Ekin-Su’s hometown in Turkey.
Speaking of the show, Ekin-Su commented: "It will be all real, fighting, I'll be cooking for him, he'll be cooking for me. It will be two cultures."
Davide added: "We'll be meeting family, it's going to be nice."
But despite the couple going on their jolly holidays, cracks began to show - with Ekin-Su left fuming after she found photos of girls on Davide's phone when he left it unlocked.
In June 2023, 11 months after winning Love Island, the couple took to Instagram to confirm their split, with Davide writing: "I would like for everybody to respect this decision during this difficult time.
"I will continue to support Ekin in anyway possible."
But, unlike the other reality show couples, they rekindled their romance and sent the rumour mill into overdrive when they were papped leaving the ITV summer party together the following month.
They eventually confirmed they were back on in October, with Davide explaining how they'd never privately split up.
"It's a lovely feeling being with Ekin, we probably broke up more publicly but never privately because we have always been in touch and the love between me and Ekin has always been there," he previously told us.
"Breaking up may happen to people but it never actually happened to us, we never properly privately broke up, it was more to do with the public pressure and we were having some tough months."
Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes - February 2018
They may have fallen in love around the fire pit, but the spark between Chris Hughes and Olivia Atwood wasn't to last.
Their fiery, rollercoaster relationship aired on Love Island in 2017, where they came third place, and after quickly signing up for their own ITV reality show, the drama continued to follow them.
The cracks in their relationship were clear for viewers to see - with Olivia condemning Chris for attending a house party, and accusing him of being flirty with other women.
And, in February 2018, after seven months together, the pair finally called quits on their turbulent relationship - throwing their spin-off reality show 'Crackin' On' into chaos.
The series was halved from six episodes to three, with a source telling The Sun at the time: “There was only so much arguing they could include."
The raw finale showed the pair breaking down in tears as they decided to separate.
"I never would have walked away from us," Olivia said.
Chris replied: "I'm not walking away from us I'm saying its the only thing that we can do. We've tried everything, Liv, and we're not f**king happy."
The documentary maker then sobbed: "I just feel f**king exhausted and drained and just run down."
Olivia also addressed their breakup on Loose Women, revealing how Chris ended their romance over the phone, and then arranged for them to meet in front of the cameras to discuss their break-up.
Speaking about filming their "horrendous" break-up, Olivia recalled: "He text and said he didn't want to [film] tomorrow, but we're going to have to do it.
"We hadn't seen each other face-to-face, and I said I'm really unhappy for that raw moment - if you're serious about this... we can follow the reality without having strangers in the room for that actual moment.
"But he felt really strongly, and he'd already communicated with production, and I felt like the one that was trying to catch up."
Katie Price and Peter Andre - May 2009
In 2004, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! viewers quickly became fixated with Katie Price and Peter Andre's blossoming jungle romance.
It wasn't long before the reality show pair, who tied the knot in 2005, signed a deal for an ITV1 fly-on-the-wall documentary series 'When Jordan Met Peter.'
Over the years, six other reality shows followed, which documented everything from their lavish wedding, to Junior and Princess' birth.
But it was 2009 documentary 'Katie & Peter: Stateside,' where the couple moved to Malibu for three months, that was to be their downfall.
In May of that year, four years after tying the knot and while the reality series was still airing, the couple announced they were splitting - and a clip from the TV show documented the very end of their rocky marriage.
In the scene, the warring couple can be heard bickering while trying out segways in LA.
Pete asks: "Didn't he know who you were?"
Katie hits back: "As if I'm bothered about that no one knows who you are Pete. You are an old f**king singer who no-one knows about."
Grinning, Pete remarks: "Oh my god, you've got a real attitude problem do you know that. I'm so glad you filmed this guys so we can show it back."
Katie responds: "I'm so glad, because we have to know what a knob you are."
He adds: "When you show it back you'll see what kind of a stupid, arrogant, miserable cow she is."
The pair later became embroiled in a messy split and finally divorced in 2009.
However, in 2018, during the Christmas special of her own reality show 'My Crazy Life,' the former glamour model called Peter Andre "perfect" and claimed their marriage was wrecked by reality TV.
Speaking to wedding dress designer Adrian, she explained: “Mine and Pete’s relationship was very magazine-based. We weren’t left alone to enjoy our relationship.
“Everything was documented. But the best thing that came out of it was Junior and Princess.
“In a nutshell I would say Pete was the perfect one I thought I would be with him for ever. It’s been ten years but onwards and upwards.”
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline - November 2006
Britney and K-Fed met in 2004 and announced their engagement after just three months of dating.
They tied the knot in September of the same year in Studio City, California.
Shortly after, the Toxic singer decided to delve into reality television, with 2005 show 'Britney and Kevin: Chaotic' chronicling their relationship.
It was comprised of a series of home videos during the European leg of the singer's Onyx Hotel Tour and included the couple candidly discussing their sex life, drinking and smoking.
Speaking of the five-part series, which aired for one season, Britney commented: "From the day that Kevin and I met, there have been constant rumours and inaccurate speculation about our lives together.
"I feel that last year, the tabloids ran my life, and I am really excited about showing my fans what really happened, rather than all the stories, which have been misconstrued by journalists in the past.
"As I mentioned before, I am now going to be expressing my personal life through art."
They went on to have two children together - Sean who was born in September 2005 and Jayden who was born in September 2006.
However, playing happy families wasn't to last as on November 7, 2006, after three years of marriage and just one year after their reality show, the Grammy-award winner filed for divorce from K-Fed and cited irreconcilable differences.
On July 30, 2007, the former couple's divorce was finalised and they officially parted ways.
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Speaking of her reality show, Britney told in 2013: "I would never do something like that again.
"Actually, that was really bad. That was probably the worst thing I've done in my career."