It was a surprise moment on Strictly Come Dancing when pro dancer Gorka Marquez halted the proceedings to deliver some bolstering words fo his celeb dance partner Helen Skelton. In a clearly unexpected from-the-heart speech earlier in the series, Gorka pleaded with the former Blue Peter presenter to 'believe in you'.
In emotional scenes Gorka took time out to praise Countryfile star Helen as he addressed the 'difficult time' she's been having. After a barnstorming paso doble they went upstairs to chat with host Claudia Winkleman.
As mother-of-three Helen, 39, was paying tribute to her parents, Gorka stepped in and asked: "Can I just say something?" He then turned to Helen and said: "I know you've have been having a difficult time and I know you've been ... you may 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."
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Cheers broke out from the fellow competitors on the BBC dance contest and Claudia added: "We all believe in you." Gorka then added: "It doesn't matter how many times I say it, or the judges say it, or anybody says it it's only you who is going to be the one who can make the change and the one who needs to believe in you, because you are an amazing woman, very inspirational."
He added: "An amazing mum and incredible dancer, so believe in you please." While the audience started applauding, and Gorka was widely praised on social media, Helen looked awkward.
She announced back in April that her eight year marriage to Leeds Rhinos rugby player Richie Myler had ended, four months after she gave birth to their third child. Helen and Richie welcomed their baby daughter Elsie Kate on December 28. They also have two young sons Ernie, seven, and Louis, five.
Strictly viewer @VaughanHolloway tweeted about the moment: "She was mortified that he spoke of such private matters live on air." @angrykilljoy1 asked: "Did she really want her personal anxiety’s broadcast in that way without permission? I doubt it. Judging from the appalled look on her face. Not good." And @licross said: "It wasn't his place to draw attention to her personal life so publicly."
They added: "I'm sure everyone's supporting her behind the scenes. I thought at one point she was about to run off or burst into tears. Love Gorka and he meant well but she was not comfortable with that at all."
But former Strictly contestant Dan Walker praised: "I think the look on Helen’s face tells you she wasn’t expecting this but… that is some speech from @gorkamarquez1 #TeamSkelton."
@caroleaf123 cheered: "Loved this! Well done Gorka. Go Helen!" And @VelvetWildcat applauded: "Lovely speech from Gorka. Her self-confidence has obviously been knocked and as a friend he he wants to help her see how great she is. The dancing came at the perfect time to hopefully give her more confidence."
In an interview with The Sun she was asked about her reaction to Gorka's speech. “What I love about Gorka is that he has my very best interests at heart, and we are genuinely very good friends,” she said.
“But sometimes, maybe, we need to talk about what he’s allowed to say publicly . . .“I was like, 'Oh God, where is he going with this?’ That’s why I jumped on the table, to shut him up!"
Speaking about her supportive dance partner, she said Gorka, 32, brings her coffee and a pastry every morning "because I’m losing so much weight, training constantly and doing the show." And he writes on the coffee cup "you’re brilliant, you’ve got this."
"Because he knows I’d be mortified and embarrassed if he did it to my face." she explained. Announcing her marriage heartbreak earlier this year she wrote on social media: "Very sad to say that Richie and I are no longer a couple."
She said: "He has left the family home. We will be doing our best to co-parent our small children." Richie went Instagram official with new partner Stephanie Thirkill when they attended Wimbledon together this summer.
As Helen made her dancing debut on Strictly at the end of last month her ex shared photos of himself and Stephanie on his Instagram and posted about 'family' as he shared a picture of himself and Stephanie with family including her father Leeds Rhinos president Andrew Thirkill.
After their debut on Strictly Come Dancing, performing the American Smooth to Aretha Franklin's You Send Me, Helen was advised to "own it" by judge Anton Du Beke. And at the time Gorka said her confidence at the moment 'is not great.'
He said: "She's great but she just needs to believe." He continued: "Her confidence at the moment is not great. But she just needs to believe in herself and believe she can do it because I think she has a lot of potential and she's a beautiful dancer. I believe in her."
While presenting Blue Peter for five years Helen took part in the Namibia Ultra Marathon, cycled to the South Pole and kayaked the entire 2000-mile length of the River Amazon for Sport Relief, an achievement which earned her two entries in the Guinness World Records - for the longest solo journey by kayak and the longest distance by a woman in a kayak in 24 hours
She is also known for presenting BBC One show Countryfile and covering major sporting events for BBC Sport. She’s also presented the series On The Farm for Channel 5 and stood in for Dermot O’Leary and OJ Borg on BBC Radio 2.
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