Dan Walker has revealed he has been secretly supporting Helen Skelton through her time on Strictly Come Dancing.
Channel 5 newsreader Dan, 45, has been having phone calls with Countryfile Helen, 39, to provide her advice throughout her journey.
Dan, who recently shared his inside plan to staying longest in Strictly, competed in the 2021 series of the BBC One dancing programme and came in fifth place alongside his professional partner Nadiya Bychkova.
Meanwhile, Helen is competing this year with professional dancer Gorka Marquez.
And Dan is backing the Countryfile presenter to go far and has even been chatting to her on the phone, sharing his support to Helen.
Dan told the Daily Star: "I know Helen Skelton really well and I've been talking to her quite a bit and I think she's been fantastic and I told her she's going to be there for quite some time."
He added: "She rang me the week before she went on and I told her you have to go into it with her eyes wide open."
Dan said he recommends to enjoy the time on the show as much as possible.
"From my experience of it you have to enjoy it as much as you can and you never want to finish it and think 'Ugh, I wish I allowed myself to enjoy it more'," he said.
Last weekend Helen soared to the top of the leaderboard alongside Strictly favourite Hamza Yassin.
During her time on the programme, Helen admitted she felt a lack of confidence, which has caused her to almost leave the series.
Following a performance on the show Gorka revealed: "She just needs to believe in herself. I know her confidence at the moment is not great but I believe in her."
Helen, who has moved in with her parents following her split from her husband, added: "I kept trying to leave."
Later, in the series after impressing the judges with their Paso Doble to Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Gorka took a moment to gush over his partner.
He said: "Can I just say something? I know you've been having a difficult time, and I know you've been made to feel like you're not beautiful or good enough or anything. But if you don't believe in yourself...
"I believe in you. Everybody here believes in you, your family believes in you. It doesn't matter how many times I say it or the judges say it, or anyone says it, it's only you that can make the change and the one who believes in you."
He added: "You are an amazing woman, very inspirational, an amazing mum and an incredible dancer so believe in you please."
It comes after it was reported Helen's ex-husband Richie Myler is expecting his first child with his girlfriend Stephanie Thirkill, six months after Helen and Richie's split.
A friend of Stephanie's told The Mirror : "She has told me, ‘It’s upsetting that anyone could be judging me when I am so early on in pregnancy. I want to be able to enjoy this time without it being tarnished as I’ve always dreamed of being a mum. I have never meant to cause any upset to Helen but I do feel I’m being painted as some sort of horrible person."
