Helen Skelton has admitted she was in two minds about signing up for this yr’s Strictly Come Dancing after splitting from her husband of 9 years.
Again in April, the previous Blue Peter presenter introduced that she and rugby star Richie Myler – with whom she shares three kids – had parted methods, telling her Instagram followers on the time: “Very unhappy to say that Richie and I are now not a pair. He has left the household house. We will probably be doing our greatest to co-parent our young children.”
Simply 4 months later, Helen was introduced as considered one of 15 celebrities participating on this yr’s sequence of Strictly, which she revealed throughout a brand new interview with The Telegraph was not a straightforward determination.
“I used to be speaking to my finest buddy about it and I used to be like, ‘I’m undecided, there’s the children and the press and it will likely be full-on’,” she recalled.
“And she or he simply went, ‘What a t*t! You’re going to receives a commission to bounce round with a match man, individuals are going to place make-up on you, and also you’ve started working. It’s not actual life, is it? Why wouldn’t you do it?’.”
Ray Burmiston by way of PA Media
Helen finally determined it could be “disrespectful” to show the BBC present down, and stated sure within the hope it could permit her household to see her “have a good time”.
The Countryfile host stated: “While you’ve acquired youngsters, in the event that they’re blissful, you’re blissful. My child scored a hat-trick this week, and I used to be like, ‘Oh my God!’. After which I believed, ‘Oh, I try this to my mum and pa’.
“You don’t get it till you’ve acquired your personal youngsters, do you? It offers you a special perspective.”
Previous to this yr’s Strictly launch, Helen instructed HuffPost UK of her determination to enroll: “I simply needed to do one thing enjoyable! It was a superb probability for my household to see me smiling. And it’s a enjoyable journey.
“Anyone who’s had something to do with Strictly will say, the make-up individuals are the most effective, the costume individuals are the most effective, the set designers are the most effective, the dancers are the most effective. So why wouldn’t you wish to do one thing the place everyone seems to be actually on the high of their recreation and loving what they do?”
Helen has been partnered with skilled dancer Gorka Marquez on the present sequence of Strictly, and whereas the pair have persistently acquired fairly good scores, she was instructed by the judges final week to work on her confidence and self-belief.
Man Levy/BBC by way of PA Media
After they acquired their critiques on Saturday evening, Gorka took a second to offer his movie star dance companion a pep speak on air, telling her: “I do know you’ve been made to really feel such as you’re not stunning or adequate or something, however when you don’t imagine in your self, I imagine in you. Everyone right here believes in you, your loved ones believes in you.
“It doesn’t matter what number of instances I say it or the judges say it, you’re the one who must make the change and imagine in you, as a result of you’re a very inspirational girl and wonderful mum and an excellent dancer.”
This week, Helen will probably be paying homage to her previous stomping floor with a routine impressed by Blue Peter as a part of Strictly’s one-off BBC 100 particular to commemorate the broadcaster’s centenary.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday evening at 6.40pm on BBC One.
