James Cracknell, 48, is ENGAGED to girlfriend of 17 months Jordan Connell, 35, nearly two years after divorcing ex-wife Beverley Turner
- The Olympic rower, 48, met the American financier, 35, when he studied at Cambridge University in 2018
- Father-of-three James’ exciting news comes nearly two years after he split from presenter Beverley, 47, following 17 years of marriage
- The TV host and the sporting champion finalised their divorce in March 2019 after splitting in 2018
- Beverley and James married in 2002 and are parents to three children; Croyde, 15, Kiki, 11, and Trixie, nine
- The former couple split after a nine year struggle following a crippling brain injury, which Beverley nursed him back to health from
James Cracknell has revealed he’s engaged to his girlfriend of 17 months, Jordan Connell.
The rowing champion, 38, who met the American financier, 35, when he studied at Cambridge University in 2018, confirmed the couple are set to wed in an announcement in The Times.
Father-of-three James’ exciting news comes nearly two years after he split from presenter Beverley Turner following 17 years of marriage.
The TV host, 47, petitioned for their divorce in March 2019 on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour, which he did not oppose.
Wedding bells: James Cracknell has revealed he’s engaged to his girlfriend of 17 months, Jordan Connell (pictured in 2019)
The Olympian’s new fiancée, who is believed to split her time between London and the US, spent 12 months studying for an MBA at the prestigious university before returning to her native city of New York.
Beverley and James split after a nine year struggle following a crippling brain injury, which saw him knocked off his bike by the wing mirror of a petrol tanker in Arizona.
The broadcaster nursed the sportsman back to health after he was left in a coma and sustained damage to the part of the brain that governs memory, personality, and speech.
They went their separate ways eight months after James moved to Cambridge and Beverley felt he was abandoning the family.
Former spouse: Father-of-three James’ exciting news comes nearly two years after he split from presenter Beverley Turner following 17 years of marriage (pictured in 2016)
The athlete later claimed the ‘complex’ separation was ‘a long time coming’ and was nothing to do with the Boat Race or the 2010 brain injury that almost killed him.
The media personality told the Daily Telegraph at the time: ‘It wasn’t going to university or competing in the Boat Race that ended the marriage. And it wasn’t even the accident, although our marriage was dealt a bad hand with that.
‘As anybody who is married or has been married will know, break-ups are far more complex than anybody else [outside the marriage] really knows.
‘There’s this perception that I’ve left my family to go off to Cambridge, selfishly, but that’s a little exaggerated. And while, yes, it may seem selfish, it also pays the bills.’