He’s had a whirlwind year, with his personal life somewhat overshadowing his boxing career after he publicly split from pregnant wife Faryal Makhdoom before they reunited last week.
And Amir Khan has admitted he feels embarrassed at the way he handled his split with Faryal, 26, who he shares 3-year-old Lamaisah with.
Ahead of his I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Outta Here appearance in Australia, the 30-year-old British boxer opened up about their turbulent relationship, in a bid to repair his public perception.
‘I made a few silly mistakes. I did put my life on social media, I assumed things which were wrong’: Amir Khan has admitted he feels embarrassed at the way he handled his split with Faryal, 26, who he shares 3-year-old Lamaisah with
Speaking to The Mirror, Amir admitted: ‘I think if you look at the whole situation, it was all just silly, starting with the texts, then when I accused her of messaging Joshua, it was all just nonsense really from the start.
‘And then when we sat down and thought ‘Look, we’ve got a family’. Also she’s expecting so we have to think for the kids. In life you have to forgive. We have to move forward and move on from things like that.
Branding it a ‘wake-up call’, he continued: ‘I made a few silly mistakes. I did put my life on social media, I assumed things which were wrong. So I kind of embarrassed myself.’
Amir revealed they have now put everything behind them, and are moving forward as ‘one big family’, with the couple even staying in his mum’s spare room the night before he left for the jungle, in a bid to repair Faryal’s fractured relationship with his family.
‘In life you have to forgive’: Ahead of his I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Outta Here appearance in Australia, the 30-year-old British boxer opened up about their turbulent relationship, in a bid to repair his public perception
New page: Amir revealed they have now put everything behind them, and are moving forward as ‘one big family’, with the couple even staying in his mum’s spare room the night before he left for the jungle
While show bosses had allegedly wanted him as a hunky single man to provoke romance on the show, Amir is said to be keen to set things straight about his turbulent relationship with Faryal.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Amir’s hoping he can use the show as a springboard to help rebuild some of the damaged public perception of him after his marriage split.’
And it looks like he may also be injecting the comedy factor, after he admitted he’s not as brave as he seems.
Speaking to The Metro last week, the former unified light-welterweight world champion admitted: ‘I am one guy who hates spiders.
‘Whenever I see a spider at home, I get my sister to move it. I just don’t deal with it. ‘Will I scream? Yes definitely but maybe this is the time where I face my phobias!’
The reports came after the boxer confirmed he had reconciled with wife Faryal Makhdoom last week – just two months after he filed for divorce in the wake of bitter family feuds and public rows.
On Saturday Amir tweeted a picture of the couple snuggling in each other’s arms on the sofa in London.
Setting the record straight: Amir is said to be keen to set things straight about his turbulent relationship with Faryal
He captioned it: ‘With my 4 month pregnant wife, after sorting out all the issues. Closing the year with a happy ending’.
Only two months ago Bolton-born Khan told his fans his marriage was over.
After months of very public problems, including a family spat, rumours of a sex tape and cheating allegations Amir Khan and his wife Faryal sensationally split earlier this year.
He said in a Snapchat video on 8 September: ‘So me and Faryal are not together. I have filed for a divorce.
‘I hear she has just announced she is pregnant. She didn’t tell me. I had to read it on social media.’
He’s punching! the boxer confirmed he had reconciled with wife Faryal Makhdoom last week – just two months after he filed for divorce in the wake of bitter family feuds and public rows
The couple, who married in 2013, had a very public falling out on Twitter earlier this year, with each side accusing the other of cheating.
Khan even accused his American wife of having an affair with heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua.
Khan hit out at his wife, writing: ‘Left my family and friends for this Faryal. I’m not hurt but another fighter. I’m making it public. You getting the divorce #Golddigger.’
Split: Khan and Faryal pictured with their daughter Lamaisah. The couple are expecting another child in the new year
Untrue: Khan even accused his American wife of having an affair with heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua (pictured together) before later apologising
But Faryal hit back minutes later, claiming her husband left his family because they had ‘robbed’ him and telling him to ‘stop making false things up’.
Branding him a ’30-year-old baby’, she went on to accuse him of sleeping with prostitutes and being a bad role model.
Joshua laughed off Khan’s claims, posting the music video from pop star Shaggy’s It Wasn’t Me online, and saying he had never met Faryal.
Khan later apologised to Joshua and said there was ‘no truth’ to his claims.
Better days: Amir Khan and Faryal sensationally announced their marriage is over in an explosive ongoing row on Twitter in the summer (pictured in 2013 before her transformation)
Problems began last year when Khan’s family said his wife, an American model, dressed improperly for a Muslim woman.
The boxer, from Bolton, who is worth £23million, announced their split in a tweet reading ‘So me and the wife Faryal have agreed to split. I’m currently in Dubai. Wish her all the best’.
He was then pictured on a string of dates with various women, while a heartbroken Faryal continued her pregnancy, admitting on Instagram that to ‘pretend everything was okay’ to their daughter was the ‘hardest thing she’s ever done’.
However the two appear to have worked things out in the last week, ahead of his appearance in the jungle.
This year’s line up sees MIC’s Georgia Toffolo, actor Jamie Lomas, singer Vanessa White and footballer Dennis Wise, Conor Maynard’s brother Jack Maynard, Soap actress Jenny McAlpine, Boris Johnson’s father Stanley Johnson, comedian Shappi Khorsandi and WAG Rebecca Vardy.
Campmates: Stanley Johnson, Dennis Wise, Shappi Khorsandi, Amir Khan, Jennie McAlpine, Vanessa White, Rebekah Vardy, Jack Maynard, Georgia Toffolo and Jamie Lomas