Helen Skelton reveals how Strictly boosted her confidence again after feeling on a ‘sticky wicket’ when her marriage to Richie Myler broke down

Helen Skelton has revealed how Strictly Come Dancing boosted her confidence after a whirlwind 12 months, including the break-up of her eight-year marriage.

The Countryfile presenter, 40, signed up for the 2022 series of the BBC ballroom dancing competition after splitting from Richie Myler in April.

Helen then reached the final of the competition, gaining confidence throughout, including a very sexy cabaret routine with professional partner Gorka Marquez.

Despite ultimately losing the coveted Glitterball trophy to Hamza Yassin and partner Jowita Przystal, Helen still sees herself as a ‘winner’.

Helen said on her Helen Skelton’s podcast Outside in thoughts: ‘I think everyone needs a little reminder at some point: “Actually, you’re really good at this, here’s your invisible crown, put it on.”

‘I was like, “Okay, I’m barreling towards my 40s, I just had another kid. I’m on my own. I’ve moved my life, I’ve moved my house.”

‘I was on a bit of a sticky wicket, but the [pro] dancers are all like, “Oh my God, you have three kids, that’s incredible. You bought a house, that’s incredible.”

While juggling work and three children with her time on the show, Helen said Strictly had brought her ‘back to life’.

Helen is mum-of-three and has Ernie, eight, Louis, five, and Elsie, two, with ex Richie.

She announced her split from England and Leeds Rhino rugby star Richie in April last year – and finally broke her silence earlier in October.

While she was left devastated by the split, she said she wants to keep the sportsman in her life to some extent for the sake of her children.

Helen has opened up about her love life in her new autobiography In My Stride, which she wrote The sun: ‘I was in shock.

“I know people often say after a divorce that they didn’t see it coming and it sounds like a cliché, but that was me.”

Helen’s heartbreak led to her decision to join Strictly last year, with the presenter previously admitting she struggled to feel ‘sexy’ even when encouraged by her professional dance partner Gorka Marquez.

She wrote: ‘In week two, Gorka asked me why I didn’t feel sexy. It was a tough question that immediately made me cringe.

‘Why are you asking me that? I was just there for the banter. I was never sexy, I was the cute and funny type.

“He asked a woman with three children under six, whose husband had just left her and was with another woman, TO BE SEXY.

“I thought, who would feel good about themselves in that scenario?”

But Helen later revealed she had regained her ability to feel sexy as the show progressed.

Appearing on Loose Women in February, Helen reflected on her journey on the show and how dance partner Gorka Marquez helped her remember ‘who I am’.

“In the first few weeks I didn’t know how to be sexy and sassy, ​​but after that it got easier,” she said.

“That’s when I stopped questioning it and just cared less. I was aware that it would be over in the blink of an eye, so I just gave it my all.”

Helen went on to talk about her racy cabaret routine which saw her dress in black lingerie and stockings – with many fans calling it the ultimate ‘revenge dance’.

She said: ‘The cabaret routine was about being fierce and powerful and that’s my version of sexy.

“It made me remember who I am this show. By the end I wasn’t thinking ‘oh my god’ anymore, I just wanted to have a good time.”

Despite her pain, she will make sure Richie is a constant in her life so that her children always have a father figure.

And she refuses to delete photos of herself and Richie that she took during the happy times they shared together and posted to social media.

She emphasizes, “I want them to know that we loved each other, but things change and that’s okay too.”

Helen was so distraught after her divorce from Richie that she was initially unable to tell her parents.

She claims she kept it a secret from them for a while because she didn’t want to “hurt” them.

But when her father noticed she was spending a lot of time alone with her children in her marital home, he surprised her with a visit from Cumbria.

Helen wrote: ‘He stepped in straight away, knowing I needed him, even if I didn’t want to admit it.’

Since his split from Helen, Richie has had a baby with new girlfriend Stephanie Thirkill, 32, the daughter of Leeds Rhinos president Andrew.

Helen is also said to have started dating again.

Helen and Richie married in 2013 and moved to their Yorkshire estate together seven years later.

In August, Helen quit her Radio 5 Live show after just a year to spend more time with her children.

Helen supports Hats On For Mind and shows their own designed hat [and flask] from the collection that can be purchased online and in-store at partner retailers. 100% of the profits from the campaign go to Mind.