Television presenter Helen Skelton has spoken candidly about the public humiliation she experienced following the end of her marriage to ex-husband Richie Myler. Skelton described her personal mantra as needing to "get up and get on with it," stating that she found the "patronising looks" she received after their split difficult to bear.
Seven months after Myler left, Skelton participated as a celebrity contestant on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing." She told The Times that she was contending with local gossip, finding it "humiliating" due to her rural upbringing. She recounted instances such as her dairy farmer father hearing discussions about her at his golf club and a supermarket employee inquiring about her personal life.
Her second-place finish on "Strictly" was seen as a personal triumph, demonstrating her resilience to the public and Myler. Skelton recalled a "Couple's Choice" dance to "Mein Herr" from "Cabaret," which was widely interpreted as a "revenge dance." She explained that the performance was a way to reclaim her narrative and respond to the perceived patronizing inquiries, stating, "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." During the routine, she mouthed the line "you're better off without me," which she described as a "metaphorical 'f*** you'."
In 2023, Skelton stepped down from her Sunday show on BBC Radio 5 Live to dedicate more time to her three children, citing the challenges of balancing work and family life. Later that year, she became a regular co-presenter on the BBC's weekday morning program "Morning Live."
Skelton and her "Morning Live" co-host Gethin Jones have been the subject of persistent rumors regarding a romantic relationship. Skelton has now clarified these speculations, telling Prima Magazine that while they are close friends, they are not romantically involved. "It's wild. I've had my best friend congratulate me on our engagement. We're not [together]. We work together; he's one of my best friends," she stated.
She further elaborated to The Mirror, "We just work together, we are not together. No, no, no. We are just work friends. They printed pictures of us at work and that we're together because we are at work together." Skelton mentioned she does not use dating apps, humorously noting her father's confusion between Tinder and Vinted. The speculation intensified after appearances together on the red carpet for ITV's Pride of Britain event and a Royal Television Society event. Reports of them being seen together with a suitcase at a spa near Jones's home further fueled the rumors. Skelton noted that she, Jones, and their "Morning Live" colleague Michelle Ackerley have been friends for approximately 25 years, with shared history as former "Blue Peter" presenters.
"Morning Live" relaunched with Skelton and Jones as full-time anchors in January 2024. The program was initially conceived by BBC bosses as a competitor to ITV's "This Morning."