Strictly star Helen Skelton is lacing up her dancing shoes and preparing to star alongside a host of other famous faces in the 2022 series of the BBC dance show.
Following her split from her husband Richie Myler earlier this year, Helen’s relationship status has dominated headlines.
But with bookies pricing her at 7/2 – second favourite – before Strictly Come Dancing has even begun, it seems viewers will soon be more taken with her cha-cha-cha than changes in Helen’s life.
Nonetheless, fans always want to know more about the lives of their Strictly Come Dancing line-up faves.
And so, here are the answers to questions asked frequently about Helen online…
Helen Skelton on being part of Strictly Come Dancing
Telly personality Helen is fired up and ready to dance!
She said after she was finally unveiled: “I’m really excited to get stuck into a fun adventure.
I’m really excited to get stuck into a fun adventure.
“My family and friends have always loved the show and can’t wait for me to get started.”
How old is Helen Skelton? What is her age?
Helen was born on July 19 1983.
That means she is currently 39 years old and will celebrate her 40th birthday next summer.
Where’s Helen Skelton from?
Helen was born in Carlisle, Cumbria, and brought up on a dairy farm.
She later studied journalism at the Cumbria Institute of the Arts.
Does Helen Skelton have children?
Strictly star Helen Skelton does indeed have children – she is a mum to two sons and daughter.
Her eldest child Ernie is seven years old. Younger son Louis is five. And baby Elsie was born in December 2021.
Is Helen Skelton still married? Does she have a husband?
Helen married rugby league player Richie Myler in December 2013.
They lived in France following his 2015 club transfer to the Catalans Dragons. Richie later joined Leeds Rhinos for the 2018 season onwards.
Helen Skelton split from husband Richie Myler
Helen announced their split on Instagram in April of this year.
Her post read: “Very sad to say Richie and I are no longer a couple. He has left the family home.
“We will be doing our best to co-parent our small children.”
According to reports that emerged within days of the sad announcement, it was claimed he had ‘moved on’ with the daughter of a multi-millionaire.
And in the months following, Richie has subsequently shared ‘loved-up’ pics on his social media accounts.
One image he uploaded to Instagram showed him and Stephanie Thirkill embracing while on holiday in Cornwall.
And another cosy shot from a fortnight before showed them posing at Wimbledon.
Who is Helen Skelton? Does she have a farm?
Helen made her debut as a Blue Peter presenter in 2008, having been a presenter for Newsround before that. She remained with the BBC One series for five years before moving on.
The star also began her Countryfile career in the same year she joined Blue Peter. Helen is still part of Countryfile 14 years on.
After Blue Peter, Helen reported on sport for several years, including coverage of football and swimming. Her profile rose during the 2016 Olympics, during which she anchored the swimming again – and raised eyebrows with some daring outfits.
A few months later she hosted Lorraine for several episodes. Helen is also a Radio 5 Live DJ and has also covered Dermot O’Leary’s slot on BBC Radio 2.
Helen has also made her name by completing many tough challenges.
She completed the 78 mile Namibia Ultra-Marathon in 2009 and has aced several Sport Relief trials. These include cycling to the South Pole, kayaking over 2000 miles of the Amazon and besting Love Island’s Camilla Thurlow in a boxing match!
But that isn’t the only time Helen has dished out a punch to a celebrity on screen. During her 2020 stint on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, during another boxing match, she reportedly broke the nose of Nikki Sanderson.
Furthermore, Channel 5 viewers will also recognise Helen for co-hosting various programmes in the On The Farm series with Jules Hudson and Martin Hughes-Games.
However, it doesn’t look as if she actually owns one!
Helen has also written a published novel called Amy Wild: Amazon Summer.
Can Helen Skelton dance? Does she have dance experience?
During Helen’s time on Blue Peter, she appeared in the 2012 Strictly Christmas special.
She teamed up with Artem Chigvintsev, bagging 37 points to come second out of five dance partnerships.
Additionally, recent tabloid reports have claimed Helen tap-danced in her childhood – and even won an award for the dance style when she was 17.
Will she be at an advantage during her time on Strictly? Helen herself recently indicated she “would be more of a learner”.
Speaking on her BBC Radio 5 show following the announcement confirming her involvement, Helen said: “The thing that makes me nervous… I agreed to it a few days ago and people keep saying: ‘Can you dance?’
“And I say ‘no’ because isn’t it the point to learn to dance?”
Did Helen Skelton get scammed?
Helen opened up in 2019 about being duped out £70,000 of her life savings by a fake phone caller.
She said at the time: “I cried buckets when I realised. That money was meant to be for my children’s future. I was thinking of my kids, and about how I would have to work even more and not see them to try to get it back.
“But it wasn’t just about money. I felt sick when I realised that I’d been speaking to the bloke robbing me. It felt like a total violation.”
Thankfully, Helen’s bank did eventually refund most of the money she lost.
What’s Helen Skelton’s net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Helen has quite the bank balance.
It’s claimed that she’s worth a cool £5m.
Of course, that’s just speculation. But one thing’s for sure, with Strictly in the bag, her star is most definitely on the rise.
Read more: Helen Skelton shares fears for her kids as she admits she feels ‘stupid’
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