Helen Skelton thanks parents as they step in to look…

Helen Skelton thanks parents as they step in to look after kids during Strictly

Helen Skelton has praised her parents for their help with childcare while she takes part in BBC dance competition, Strictly Come Dancing.

The Countryfile presenter joked that she will owe her parent's "Christmas in the Caribbean" as she takes on the gruelling schedule of rehearsals and live shows with her on-screen partner and dance professional Gorka Márquez.

Helen and Gorka wowed judges with the American Smooth and were placed 6th on the leaderboard with a respectable score of 26 on Saturday evening following their first live performance.

Yesterday evening the mum-of-three took to her Instagram account to post a tribute to not only her dance partner Gorka but also to her parents who are helping hold the fort back at home during her time on the show.

Sharing a snap from her's and Gorka's performance at the weekend, Helen penned: "Credit where it’s due … this one @gorka_marquez deserves kudos for not only getting me around the dance floor …. But on it in the first place.

"Grateful Mr M. You’re a master at your craft and a belter of a pal. To all the families holding down the fort behind the scenes…. We are grateful. Pretty sure I will owe my parents Christmas in the Caribbean by time this is over."

It comes after her estranged husband and Leeds Rhinos player, Richie Myler, posted a snap with his new girlfriend, Stephanie Thirkill, referring to her as "family" in the caption, whilst Helen was making her debut on the dance floor.

Alongside the photograph in which Richie is pictured with the daughter of Leeds Rhinos president Andrew Thirkill, Stephanie, 32, he wrote: "Finished this season as a family" followed by a love heart emoji.

Since the split, Helen has thrown herself into other projects - including her Strictly Come Dancing debut - while Richie has flaunted his new relationship on social media.

Richie and Helen announced the end of their eight-year marriage in April, just four months after the birth of their third child. Helen shared the sad news with a brief statement on her Instagram stories.

She wrote at the time: "Very sad to say that Richie and I are no longer a couple. He has left the family home. We will be doing our best to co-parent our small children." followed by two broken heart emojis.

Alongside their daughter Elsie Kate, the former couple also share sons, Ernie, six, and Louis, four but it seems Helen's parents are the ones standing in with the little ones in their mother's absence.

Helen Skelton has been the bookies favourite to win Strictly even before the show started. She was at first sharing joint odds with Fleur East, but is now the lone frontrunner.

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