Countryfile presenter Helen Skelton is one of many celebrities taking to the Strictly Come Dancing stage ahead of the show returning later this year.
The broadcaster has previously said she can't dance ahead of her stint on the BBC ballroom dancing show, but in a resurfaced interview clip Helen, 39, admits to winning a tap dancing competition. When asked to reveal a little known secret about herself in an unearthed 2016 piece of footage, Skelton replied: “I won a Ken Dodd tap-dance award when I was 17.
"Not a lot of people know this, but I’m very good at tap-dancing. People are often amazed I can tap-dance.”
However, despite previously boasting about her tap dancing skills, she said on BBC Radio 5 Live last week: "People keep saying, "Can you dance?" and I say, "No," because isn't it the point to learn to dance?" Despite downplaying her dancing skills, Helen, won the competition 22 years ago when she was just 17-years-old.
The award was named after the comedian Ken Dodd, who died in 2018 aged 90. He was a patron of the International Dance Teachers’ Association and donated two special awards for male and female nominees in the tap section, in memory of his agent Keith McAndrews. Helen reportedly devoted her childhood years to dance training and even received excellent marks from the Strictly judges after her appearance in the 2012 Christmas special.
She had competed alongside Russian professional Artem Chigvintsev to All I Want for Christmas Is You, and was awarded a 37 out of 40 score from judges. Helen joined the line-up for the 20th season of Strictly after her estranged husband Richie shared a loved-up snap with his new girlfriend Stephanie Thirkill.
Richie went Instagram official with his new love, 32, earlier this month as they enjoyed a romantic mini-break in Cornwall. Helen announced her split from the rugby star, in April - four months after they welcomed their third child together.
A source told The Mirror that signing up for Strictly would give her a lift, adding: 'The breakdown of any marriage is tough to cope with, and Helen has understandably found it difficult. Being on Strictly will undoubtedly restore her confidence.'
Before it was officially announced for would be joining the show, a source told The Sun: “It’s the perfect way to bounce back.
"Most people are absolutely desperate to avoid the Strictly curse but Helen would love it to give her some confidence back. She’s a great signing for the show and enormously popular with viewers, especially after what has happened to her lately. Everyone on the inside thinks she could end up going a very long way.”
Strictly bosses have even been warned by former colleagues about the mother of three's wild side ahead of her stint on the show. Helen's Summer On The Farm colleague Martin Hughes-Games has shared that her language could spark trouble.
"Helen’s a bit dodgy to work with," Martin spilled. "She’s a safe pair of hands but has to be reined in a bit because she has a tendency to be a bit wild."
He added to The Sun : "We have someone from Channel 5 compliance, on set in South Yorkshire, who tells her that she mustn’t say too many naughty things. Although of course there’s always the chance that she might.
"My family and friends have always loved the show and can’t wait for me to get started," she added. Speaking on Claudia Winkleman’s BBC Radio 2 show, Helen revealed she only agreed to do the show recently but said she was keen to sign up after competing in the Christmas special in 2012.
"Who gets to go to work and made to look a bit like Beyonce and have a fun time?" she told the programme. "So, I just thought, this is madness to not do it, of course I should do it. It’ll be so much fun."
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