Helen Skelton says split from ex Richie Myler left her feeling 'humiliated'
Helen Skelton has opened up about the breakdown of her marriage to rugby league star Richie Myler, admitting she felt humiliated as details of her personal life became the subject of public conversation. The former Blue Peter presenter, 42, married Myler in December 2013. However, the couple separated in 2022 after nearly a decade together, with Myler moving out of the family home they shared.
Despite spending years in the public eye since launching her broadcasting career in 2005, Helen said the attention surrounding her split was particularly difficult because of her upbringing in a close-knit Cumbrian village. "It felt humiliating to me because of where I'm from. I didn't enjoy walking down the street and people knowing stuff about my past," she said.
Helen explained that her father Richard would overhear conversations about her at his local golf club, while supermarket staff at her local Sainsbury's would ask questions about her private life during her weekly shop. Just months after the separation, Helen joined the line-up for BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, eventually finishing as runner-up. She said appearing on the show allowed her to reclaim control of her own story following the end of her marriage.
"I wanted to have my own narrative. I was sick of the patronising looks, the 'Ooh how are you'. I didn't have the capacity to say 'I'm brilliant how are you'. That's what the dance did," she said. During her performance of "Mein Herr" from Cabaret, Helen mouthed the famous Sally Bowles line "You're better off without me," a moment many viewers interpreted as a statement about moving on.
Away from the dancefloor, Helen has also addressed persistent speculation surrounding her friendship with Morning Live co-star Gethin Jones. "We just work together, we are not together. No no no. We are just work friends," she firmly dismissed the claims.
Helen also revealed she has no plans to join dating apps such as Tinder and rejected the suggestion that women become invisible in their 40s. The couple share three children together.