Strictly Come Dancing 2022: Helen Skelton feels like a ‘different person’

Helen Skelton has admitted she feels like a “different person” since taking part in Strictly Come Dancing after splitting from ex-husband Richie Myler earlier this year.

The 39-year-old TV presenter was seen sobbing during the show’s Saturday episode before taking to the dance floor with her professional partner Gorka Marquez, 32, to perform the samba.

She told glitzy star Gorka how her father Richard had said she was looking like herself after giving her “best performance yet” at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom last week.

Helen said, “He just looked at me and said, ‘You seem like you again,’ and I’m certainly a different person than when I started.”

She asked Gorka, “I think even you would say I’m a different person from day one, right?”

Helen was devastated in April this year when Richie, whom she married in 2013, moved out of her family home just months after giving birth to their third child in December.

Rugby player Richie is now expecting his first child with girlfriend Stephanie Thirkill, daughter of multi-millionaire Leeds Rhinos president.

Helen told the Mirror how her Strictly performances have helped her: “I’m definitely having a good time, I just want to come off the dance floor every week with a smile on my face.

“The costume, makeup and hair are the best in the business. They all make you feel good, you look in the mirror and you look amazing.”

Helen has praised her “amazing hands-on” parents as she continues to juggle life as a single mom following her split from Richie.

The Countryfile presenter said “grandparents make the economy run” as she discussed how “easily” they’ve made their lives.

The mother-of-three moved back in with her parents Richard and Janet last month while she’s juggling work and rehearsals for Strictly Come Dancing.

Helen is a mother to sons Louis, seven, Ernie, five, and daughter Elsie, eleven months, with whom she shares with professional rugby player Richie.

She told Closer magazine how she can “do all the fun stuff” with her kids while her parents take care of the practical side.

She said: “My parents are amazing. It’s the easiest parental leave of my life because they’re there all the time and do a lot for me. I’m pretty sure grandparents keep this economy going!’

“My mother gets the school uniform ready and makes sure the homework is out. Where I can do all the fun things like take them to soccer and swimming and all that. So it’s a juggling, but ultimately I feel like I’m really lucky.

“I’m really thankful that my parents do all the hard work and I get to do all the fun stuff.”

And Helen has included her children in her Strictly experience, with the TV star telling the Mirror: “It’s nice to have the kids a part of it.

“They are very proud of me. The middle one is definitely into jive, that’s his favorite.”

Helen received a total of 29 points out of 40 on Saturday’s live episode of Strictly, placing her just at the bottom of the rankings ahead of Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe, who scored 25 points.

Judge Anton Du Beke told Helen and Gorka: “What I loved about that performance was that I got you, we had Helen Skelton come out to play… I can feel the ladies are over the leg with you.” action, but well done.’

Craig Revel Horwood said, “It was very straight, it was very wooden, it was square, there was no crack but a fantastic personality.”

Motsi Mabuse told them: “I’ve seen so many details in your dancing, so that’s a great, great thing. What I’ve seen honestly is that you guys put a lot of work into it and that’s the feel of a samba.’

And Shirley Ballas said: “I’ve watched you from the start and seen you come here with this new found confidence… I thought you did 75 percent good samba… I thought for a da samba a difficult dance.” is, you did well.’

When giving out his grades, Craig gave it a five, while Motsi, Shirley and Anton all gave eight. Her total score was 29.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Sunday at 6pm on BBC One.