Helen Skelton has admitted she was in two minds about signing up for this 12 months’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 not a pair. He has left the household house. We can be doing our greatest to co-parent our babies.”
Simply 4 months later, Helen was introduced as one in all 15 celebrities participating on this 12 months’s collection of Strictly, which she revealed throughout a brand new interview with The Telegraph was not a simple determination.
“I used to be speaking to my finest buddy about it and I used to be like, ‘I’m undecided, there’s the youngsters and the press and it is going to be full-on’,” she recalled.
“And he or she simply went, ‘What a t*t! You’re going to receives a commission to bop round with a match man, persons 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 through PA Media
Helen in the end determined it will be “disrespectful” to show the BBC present down, and stated sure within the hope it will enable her household to see her “have a good time”.
The Countryfile host stated: “While you’ve obtained youngsters, in the event that they’re pleased, you’re pleased. My child scored a hat-trick this week, and I used to be like, ‘Oh my God!’. After which I assumed, ‘Oh, I try this to my mum and pop’.
“You don’t get it till you’ve obtained your individual youngsters, do you? It provides you a unique perspective.”
Previous to this 12 months’s Strictly launch, Helen instructed HuffPost UK of her determination to enroll: “I simply wished to do one thing enjoyable! It was an excellent likelihood 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 persons are the perfect, the costume persons are the perfect, the set designers are the perfect, the dancers are the perfect. 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 collection of Strictly, and whereas the pair have persistently obtained fairly good scores, she was instructed by the judges final week to work on her confidence and self-belief.
Man Levy/BBC through PA Media
After they obtained their critiques on Saturday night time, Gorka took a second to present his superstar dance accomplice a pep speak on air, telling her: “I do know you’ve been made to really feel such as you’re not lovely or adequate or something, however should you don’t imagine in your self, I imagine in you. All people 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 superb mum and a superb dancer.”
This week, Helen can 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 night time at 6.40pm on BBC One.
