It’s been just over a year since her husband left the family home he shared with her and their three children, and despite Strictly's Helen Skelton putting on a brave face in public, she’s said to be still hurting by the way she was treated by Richie Myler.
When it was announced last week that rugby player Richie had welcomed a child with his girlfriend of eleven months, Stephanie Thirkill, the pain of the split, understandably, hit Helen all over again.
“Hearing about the arrival of Richie’s baby really knocked Helen for six,” a source tells Closer. “It’s not that she’s in love with him any more, but she’s still so hurt and upset by the break-up. To see that he’s had a baby less than a year after leaving her is very hard to take. It’s brought back all that pain.”
Helen, 39, and Richie, 32, announced their split in April 2022 and just one month later, the rugby player confirmed his relationship with businesswoman Stephanie, 32. The pair then made the surprise announcement in October that they were expecting their first child together.
News of their baby’s birth at the end of last month was revealed by Richie’s rugby coach, who announced, “Richie has spent a bunch of time in hospital for the birth of his new little baby, so we’ve given him a little time off to settle in at home.”
Helen and Richie met back in 2011 and tied the knot two years later in a low-key ceremony at her hometown in Cumbria. But after welcoming three children together – sons Ernie, seven, and Louis, five, as well as daughter, Elsie – in 2022, Helen shared a statement to her Instagram story revealing that he’d left the family home.
Seemingly blindsided by their separation, as just one month earlier she had been posting tributes to her husband, Helen – who had only given birth to Elsie in December – acknowledged, “Very sad to say that Richie and I are no longer a couple… We will be doing our best to co-parent our small children.”
Despite everything that has been thrown at her over the past year, Helen recently shared that she wasn’t going to let it get her down, saying in an interview, “Lots of people have the same sorts of things to look after and sort out. I think life is fun and short and wonderful, and you just take each chapter as they come along. There’s no point overthinking stuff – you just get on with it.”
Already a household name having presented shows like Blue Peter and Countryfile, Helen’s profile was boosted by Strictly Come Dancing last autumn, where she reached the final with partner Gorka Marquez.
And our insider reveals that Strictly played an important role in helping her take the situation in her stride, saying, “Thankfully she’s a lot stronger than she was and has got some great friends and family to support her. Since doing Strictly and all the positive messages she received from the public, Helen has grown in confidence and knows that she can now handle anything. Obviously she and Richie co-parent, so they try to remain civil for the kids, but, like anyone, she finds it difficult at times.”