It's James Cracknell's wedding day! Ex-wife Beverley Turner reveals Olympian is marrying Jordan Connell as she admits 'you're never totally fine with it'

  • Olympic gold medallist James, 49, will remarry on Friday
  • His ex-wife Beverley Turner confirmed the news via Instagram 
  • James and Beverley were married for 17 years and share three children
  • The former couple announced their split in March 2019 after a nine-year struggle following James' crippling brain injury he suffered in 2010
  • James confirmed his engagement to Jordan in January earlier this year 

James Cracknell is set to marry his fiancé Jordan Connell on Friday evening.

The Olympic gold medallist's ex-wife Beverley Turner confirmed the news on Instagram as she shared a video informing her followers James, 49, will tie the knot with Jordan, who he got engaged to in January after 17-months of dating.

The TV presenter, 47, who was married to James for 17 years before they confirmed their separation in March 2019, candidly spoke of how she felt about her ex's new milestone as she reflected on their failed relationship and admitted 'you never feel totally fine' about divorce.

Wedding bells! The Olympian's ex-wife Beverley Turner revealed the sportsman was marrying Jordan on Friday evening

It's James Cracknell's wedding day! Olympian's ex-wife Beverley Turner revealed the sportsman is marrying Jordan Connell on Friday evening 

In a video shared with her 37.6k followers, Beverley appeared outside in the sun in Cornwall and claimed: ' It's a strange day today, my ex-husband got married today - which is quite a strange thing to say and I thought I was going to be totally OK with it, and I am OK with it. 

'I'm happier now than I have been for many years and I know James is happier now than he has been for many years - and a big part of that is Jordan, his wife. But it also made me quite pensive and I couldn't quite work out why.'

Beverley continued: 'Any of you that listen to the podcast that I do with Marina Fogle, As Good As It Gets, will know that I talk about the relationship that I had and the relationship that I have now quite a lot.

'And I talk about the brain injury - the accident that we went through when James got hit by a truck in 2010 when he was working for Discovery Channel.'

'You're never totally fine with it': Beverley appeared to confirm he has remarried as she discussed his wedding day with fans on Instagram on Friday

'You're never totally fine with it': James Cracknell's ex-wife Beverley Turner appeared to confirm he has remarried as she discussed his wedding day with fans on Instagram on Friday

She went on: 'You never get married thinking you're going to get divorced and although the kids are great and I have a new partner who is amazing with them and in many ways they are lively, resilient children. 

'You never have divorced parents as something that you're totally fine with. I just wanted to say that, but the other thing, I know that lots of people who are part of the brain injury world do follow me, even if you are in the darkest bits of those journeys - which you might be now - you do see the sun again at some point. 

'And although it never really leaves you, the impact never really leaves a family, I've been thinking about James' parents today as well.'

Congratulations: Beverley later took to Twitter to share a picture with her boyfriend James Pritchett, 32, as they offered their congratulations to her ex

Congratulations: Beverley later took to Twitter to share a picture with her boyfriend James Pritchett, 32, as they offered their congratulations to her ex

Beverley later took to Twitter to share a picture with her boyfriend James Pritchett, 32, as they offered their congratulations to her ex. 

She tweeted: 'Huge congratulations from us both to @jamescracknell who gets married today to a wonderful woman who makes him happy. 

'Marriage, brain injury and divorce was never Plan A. But to anyone currently in the dark, the sun WILL come out again one day.'

MailOnline has reached out to a representative for James Cracknell. 

Candid: Beverley said that while she is 'OK' with James marrying again, it felt 'strange' to say that her ex-husband had tied the knot

Candid: Beverley said that while she is 'OK' with James marrying again, it felt 'strange' to say that her ex-husband had tied the knot

Moving on: She brushed off the news by soaking up the sun on a hike in Cornwall

Moving on: She brushed off the news by soaking up the sun on a hike in Cornwall

Confirmation James was engaged to Jordan came in January earlier this year - nearly two years after his split from Beverley. Their engagement was traditionally announced in The Times. 

His reported wife, who is believed to divide her time between London and the US, spent 12 months training for an MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School while James studied for a masters in human evolution at Peterhouse College. 

Athlete James and partner Jordan started dating after finishing their degrees and have been living together in west London throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

James previously credited his new love for his newfound confidence after his terrifying accident, and the former student cheerleader enthused she's 'ridiculously happy' to have found a partner in him. 

Speaking of Jordan, James previously told the Daily Mail: 'To be honest, with Jordan the conversation was so easy and it was so nice to hang out with someone who had no preconceptions of who you were before.' 

News of their marriage comes two years after James and ex-wife Beverley decided to separate after a nine-year struggle following a crippling brain injury, which she nursed him back to health from. 

The sportsman was left in a coma and sustained damage to the part of the brain that governs memory, personality, and speech after he was knocked off his bike by the wing mirror of a petrol tanker in Arizona.

Happier times: TV presenter Beverley, 47, was married to James for 17 years before they confirmed their separation in March 2019 (pictured in 2016)

Happier times: TV presenter Beverley, 47, was married to James for 17 years before they confirmed their separation in March 2019 (pictured in 2016)

Following his separation, Beverley - who shares three children with James - reflected on how she helped him recover in an interview with The Times.

The Happy Birth Book author said at the time: 'A formerly quiet man, he couldn't stop talking, but certainly stopped listening. I had my silent screams in the shower so the children wouldn't hear.

'Acquired brain injury is contagious — the whole family catches it and soon everyone is snapping, sighing, arguing and slamming doors. After a brain injury a couple's dynamic typically becomes one of parent and child, complete with nagging, resistance, resentment and sulking.

'The 'adult' wants to nurture and protect the 'child' who they have almost lost once. Yet it's crushing and stultifying for the survivor who just wants their independence.'

Exciting times ahead: The father-of-three met financier Jordan, 35, when he studied at Cambridge in 2018 (pictured in 2019)

Exciting times ahead: The father-of-three met financier Jordan, 35, when he studied at Cambridge in 2018 (pictured in 2019)

James also expressed his gratitude towards his first spouse for her help as he said: 'I wouldn't have made the recovery I have without her fire.

'It's not so nice when it's not in your corner, but you can't fall in love with an opinionated woman and then moan when she has an opinion. It hurts but it's on me as well.

'I wasn't the best husband in the world. I wanted to go to Cambridge to get academic credibility for the work I was doing in public health. Beverley didn't share my desire for me to go into politics. I don't think she liked the idea of being a politician's wife.' 

Special announcement: The sportsman confirmed the couple are set to wed in an announcement shared in The Times back in January

Special announcement: The sportsman confirmed the couple are set to wed in an announcement shared in The Times back in January

This Morning star Beverley petitioned for a divorce in March 2019 on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour, which he did not oppose.

They went their separate ways eight months after James moved to Cambridge and Beverley felt he was abandoning the family.

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.

Love story: The financial consultant spent a year training for an MBA while the Olympian studied for a masters in human evolution (pictured in 2019)

Love story: The financial consultant spent a year training for an MBA while the Olympian studied for a masters in human evolution (pictured in 2019)

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.'

Like James, Beverley has too moved on from their marriage and is in a relationship with eco-property developer James Pritchett, 32, for nearly a year.

Beverley - who is 15 years his senior - previously said of her romance: 'I had such judgment about age-gap relationships before this.'

The writer added to the Daily Mail: 'I would look at an older man with a younger woman and roll my eyes, but now I can completely see what they were doing. I cannot see any disadvantage to it.'

Going strong: The pair started dating after finishing their degrees and have been living together in west London throughout the coronavirus pandemic (pictured last July)

Going strong: The pair started dating after finishing their degrees and have been living together in west London throughout the coronavirus pandemic (pictured last July)

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