Helen Skelton has revealed her family are delighted to see her back to her 'old self' on Strictly Come Dancing, after an incredibly tough year which has seen her marriage breakdown and then her ex husband Richie Myler move on with a new girlfriend.
The final celeb to be confirmed for the new series of the hit BBC show, former Blue Peter presenter Helen was tipped to do well in the Strictly ballroom, with her even the narrow favourite to win going into the first live show back in September. However while odds were shortening on her lifting the Glitterball trophy, Helen was struggling behind the scenes, with her suffering a real crisis of confidence and even fleeing rehearsals through a fire exit as the pressure got to her.
Helen's stint on Strictly comes months after her split from rugby star Richie, with the couple having three together and their youngest being just a baby, when their marriage broke down. While he didn't refer to Helen's ex by name or address the split,. her professional partner on Strictly, Gorka Marquez publicly addressed her confidence issues during a Strictly live show, willing her to believe in herself more as she was "an amazing woman, an amazing mother and an amazing dancer."
READ MORE : Helen Skelton overheard giving Strictly 'snub' to Gorka Marquez
Over the last month, Helen's confidence has taken a step in the right direction and last weekend she had a massive reason to smile as she and Gorka achieved their highest score so far, 39 out of 40 for their Quickstep.
They reflected on that series high when they appeared as gusts on Strictly: It Takes Two on Thursday night. And it was during their chat with host Janette Menara that Helen opened up on how much her family's support has meant to her and what i's meant to them to see her get her spark back.
After a video of Helen's mum and appeared on screen, Janette remarked: "Your dad has been saying some really supportive things this week hasn't he?2 with Helen replying: "He's been saying it's nice to see you being you again, i's nice to see you enjoying yourself.
Janette replied: "And your mum, they're really going into the experience with you, aren't they?" Helen responded: "That's what this is all about. Why be part of something so special if your family don't get to benefit too."
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