Helen Skelton has opened up about the emotional aftermath of her split from ex-husband Richie Myler, admitting the most difficult part wasn't the heartbreak itself but the feeling that everyone else seemed to know about it too.
The BBC presenter has spoken candidly about how the public nature of the breakdown of her marriage left her feeling "humiliated," as she struggled to escape conversations about her private life becoming headline news.
Ms Skelton, 42, separated from the former rugby league star in 2022 after eight years of marriage.
The split came just months after the couple welcomed their third child, daughter Elsie, and soon afterwards, Mr Myler began a relationship with another woman.
The pair announced their split in 2022
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Reflecting on that challenging period in an interview with The Times, Ms Skelton said the constant attention surrounding her personal life was harder to cope with than the separation itself.
"It felt humiliating to me because of where I'm from," she explained. "I didn't enjoy walking down the street and people knowing stuff about my past."
Growing up in a close-knit community made the experience even more uncomfortable, with Ms Skelton revealing that conversations about her private life seemed impossible to avoid, whether through neighbours, family friends or even strangers.
She said her dairy farmer father, Richard, would regularly overhear people discussing her relationship at his local golf club, while everyday errands often became awkward.
The couple share three children together, with Mr Myler leaving shortly after the birth of their daughter
|"'Susan from the meat counter at Sainsbury's' would ask about my love life," she recalled.
Rather than retreating from the spotlight, however, Ms Skelton chose to embrace a new challenge.
Just seven months after the split, she signed up for Strictly Come Dancing - a decision she now says helped her reclaim control over her own story. 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."
Mr Myler quickly found a new relationship with Stephanie Thirkill in the same year
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Her unforgettable Couple's Choice routine to Mein Herr from Cabaret quickly became one of the standout performances of the series, with many viewers branding it her "revenge dance."
During the performance, Ms Skelton famously mouthed Sally Bowles' line, "You're better off without me," describing it as a metaphorical "f*** you" to anyone who had underestimated or written her off.
The routine resonated far beyond the ballroom, with the BBC presenter revealing: "One of the dancers said, 'You did that for all of us, didn't you?'"
Ms Skelton went on to finish as runner-up on the series, with many fans viewing her journey as a symbol of resilience following one of the most difficult chapters of her life.
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Since then, the presenter has continued to rebuild both personally and professionally.
After leaving her Sunday programme on BBC Radio 5 Live to spend more weekends with her three children, she has become one of the leading faces of BBC One's Morning Live.
Her close friendship with co-host Gethin Jones has repeatedly fuelled rumours that the pair are secretly dating, particularly after they were photographed together at public events and during a spa visit.
But Ms Skelton insists the speculation couldn't be further from the truth.
Ms Skelton has continued to share her life with her children online
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