It’s been 15 months since Strictly's Helen Skelton's shock split from husband Richie Myler, and now as she marks her 40th milestone birthday on Wednesday, the Strictly star is making another monumental change in her life.
Last week it was revealed that the mum-of-three is set to sell the picturesque Yorkshire home she and Richie bought in 2020 and completely renovated together.
The charming country house – boasting exposed brick walls, a log fire, a huge stone-walled garden, a silver free-standing bath and a spacious kitchen – had been a bustling family home for Helen, Richie and their children, Ernie, eight, Louis, five, and one-year-old Elsie.
But following the sudden breakdown of her marriage, which came just four months after welcoming their youngest child and a month before Richie revealed he was in a new relationship with girlfriend Stephanie Thirkill, a devastated Helen moved back to her hometown in Cumbria with her children.
Now an insider reveals that the Countryfile presenter feels that waving goodbye to her old home will give her the fresh break she needs from her old life, and from Richie, who welcomed a baby with Stephanie in May. The source says, “Helen is in a very different place to the one she was a year ago and is very much ready to move on and start her next chapter.
“While she loved her home, it held too many memories and it was a project she and Richie transformed together, so she knew that in order to start afresh, she needed to let it go.
“Helen insists the turning point for her was Richie having a baby with Stephanie – admitting that, as painful as it was, it was very much the door being firmly closed which helped give her the motivation to move on and focus on her own future happiness.”
And since finishing runner-up on Strictly in December, Helen has turned family chaos into family fun, with trips to the Lake District as well as a getaway with her gal pals to Ibiza earlier this month.
Now the source says Helen, who has revealed how Strictly “made me remember who I am”, is also ready to tentatively dip her foot back into the dating pool, too.
The insider says, “She’s done grieving for her relationship with Richie and now they’re trying to co-parent as amicably as they can. And while her children are her main focus, she’s feeling ready to meet someone new and find love again.
“She misses having a partner by her side and would love to meet someone with kids of his own so they can be a blended family.
“It’s not been plain sailing by any means and there are still moments when Helen feels like the world is against her, but it’s getting easier as time goes on. She’s looking forward to a fresh start in a new home where they can make new memories – hopefully with a new partner by her side.”