It might be just one month away from its 2022 season launch but already a 'fix' scandal is engulfing Strictly Come Dancing.
The line-up of celebrities taking part in the long-running BBC dance competition was revealed earlier this month.
Among them is Helen Skelton, the former Blue Peter presenter who is joining the series months after splitting for her husband, Richie Myler, reports the Mirror.
While Helen may be hoping to take her mind off her forthcoming divorce by throwing herself into rehearsals, some are questioning if she might have too much of an advantage for the show.
READ NEXT: Strictly Come Dancing ‘in favouritism row’ over Giovanni Pernice’s rumoured celebrity partner
For Helen, 39, won a dance competition in her teenage years, a fact uncovered by The Sun on Sunday. Asked to reveal a little known secret about herself, she said in a 2016 interview, she said: "I won a Ken Dodd tap-dance award when I was 17."
She later added: "Not a lot of people know this, but I’m very good at tap dancing. People are often amazed I can tap dance."
Yet recently the star has been attempting to give the impression she is a total novice ahead of the upcoming season of Strictly – which will be the 20th series. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live last week, Helen said: "People keep saying, 'Can you dance?' and I say, 'No' because isn't it the point to learn to dance?"
Earlier this month, Helen shared information about foot maintenance ahead of her Strictly casting announcement. She became an expert in self healthcare after taking part in a string of gruelling all-action challenges, including marathons and mountain climbs.
She wrote: "My feet were probably the most important piece of kit I had, so it was important I looked after them."
She went on to describe injuries she sustained while running in marathons. She wrote: "My blisters were so big the race doctor had to pop them with a scalpel... I thought about telling people I had failed. And that hurt more than my feet."
Explaining that all her toenails fell off after her marathon, she added: "It didn't hurt, but it looked awful. I was quite proud of what I had been through, so I used to freak people out by asking them if they could guess what I was hiding in my purse. Don’t judge me. After all that running I deserved some fun."
Helen wrote in her book, titled Wild Girl: "The race showed me that sometimes you just have to keep your head down and plough on, using the highs to get you through the lows."
READ MORE
This Morning host Andi Peters branded 'miserable' for refusing to hug guest Rustie Lee
I'm A Celebrity line-up rumours put Michael Owen in frame for jungle stint
Good Morning Britain's Robert Rinder launches furious tirade as guest sent death threats
Married at First Sight UK new series brides and grooms including Dreamboy and former Miss GB
Loose Women's Janet Street-Porter hits out at neighbours in heated rant that angers co-stars
