It's been an emotional year for Strictly Come Dancing star Helen Skelton following news that her ex is expecting a baby with his new partner.
Helen, 39, is said to have been blindsided by Leeds Rhinos star Richie Myler leaving the family home in April when their youngest child, Elsie Kate, was just four months old.
Soon after, he began a relationship with Stephanie Thirkill, 32, whose dad is Rhinos president Andrew Thirkill, and news of their pregnancy surfaced last week.
And in a recently resurfaced interview from before the split, Helen shared that their marriage had undergone some changes due to the stress of balancing their successful careers with parenting.
Revealing she had, at times, felt unappreciated by the father of her three children, Helen admitted that they'd started, "staying out of each other's way."
Asked if they make time to go on dates, she explained how it wasn't possible because they have to stagger their time at home.
"No... We're not in the house together, she said.
"We say this is the dream as we have breakfast, lunch and dinner together but then look after the kids in shifts."
She explained how sharing responsibilities had given Richie a new appreciation of what goes into running the household.
Helen continued: "You appreciate the other in this situation. I don't think he'll ever say again, 'What do you do with the kids all day?'
"Sometimes I would get in from work and he'd be that husband that would look at the kitchen and say, 'How is this still a mess when she’s been off all day?'
"Now he's done it he's like, 'How does she stay sane?'"
Helen added that the kids would often be up late, preventing them spending quality time together.
She said: "If we sit on the couch before 10pm we're happy. My kids... are terrible sleepers."
Meanwhile, Helen was said to be deeply hurt by the possibility that some of her closest friends had known about her ex's new romance but didn't warn her.
"Helen feels betrayed that some of their friends possibly already knew [Richie and his girlfriend] were together before she did, and they didn't let her know," a source told new! magazine.
"It could have been that her pals felt they were in a difficult position, as Helen has just had her new baby and it was a hard time, but it has made her feel low."
According to one source, while Helen was blindsided by Richie's departure, she'd already spotted signs that something was off in their marriage.
"Helen has known something hasn’t been right in the marriage for a while now," the insider told The Sun.
However, when Richie finally announced his intention to leave, a devastated Helen was nevertheless rendered speechless, according to reports.
"She was absolutely dumbstruck when it finally ended. The split has been incredibly tough on Helen," the insider added.
"She is being supported by her family and friends who are all rallying around her. Everyone is in a state of shock at their break up."
* Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6.40pm
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