Helen Skelton says Strictly Come Dancing is the perfect opportunity for her family to see her smiling again.
This comes after the Countryfile presenter split from her husband of eight years, Richie Myler, earlier this year. Helen had given birth to the former couple's third child and daughter, Elsie Kate, just a few months before.
Helen was asked in an interview prior to her debut this weekend why now was the best time for her to take part in the show. She replied: "I just wanted to do something fun! It was a good chance for my family to see me smiling and it's a fun adventure.
“Anybody who’s had anything to do with Strictly will say, the make-up people are the best, the costume people are the best, the set designers are the best, the dancers are the best. So why wouldn’t you want to do something where everyone is literally at the top of their game and loving what they do?”
Helen also shared that she’s particularly looking forward to getting “Strictly-fied” ahead of her first performance, joking: “I have three children under seven, a very energetic dog and have lived in a house renovation for the best part of three years, so Strictly-fy me up please!”
Before filming this year’s launch show, Helen told HuffPost UK that she’s already enjoying the social side of being on Strictly, as her job often requires her to work on her own. “I’m so giddy, I’m like, ‘let’s go for a meal, let’s go for a drink’, and everybody’s like, ’f*** off’’,” she said. “But I’m normally on my own [in work situations]. That’s the nice thing for me about this."
“In our world you’re often on your own – not in a lonely way, it’s just the nature of your work. If I do radio, I’ll be on my own. Whereas with this, it’s nice to be around people that are in the same world. And it’s nice to be sharing something in a team, it’s that team mentality.”
Helen will battle it out for the Glitterball Trophy on Strictly this year alongside the likes of Kym Marsh, Will Mellor, Richie Anderson and Kaye Adams.
Helen wrote on Instagram: "Totally understand why people rave about being part of this show in the way they do… Smiles and laughter are infectious. Very grateful to be part of the class of '22' still in awe this is technically work. For however long it lasts I have already made memories to last a lifetime. #strictly #launchshow #strictlycomedancing #grateful #bbc."
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