12 October 2023 , 22:11
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Helen Skelton has opened up about her marriage split with Richie Myler for the very first time - admitting that she 'still has questions'.
The Strictly Come Dancing star, 40, has revealed that her stint on the BBC One competition allowed her to grieve her marriage which ended abruptly as she admitted that she was 'blindsided' when Richie announced that he was in a new relationship just a few short months after their split.
The TV presenter announced the couple's split in April 2022, taking to Instagram to confirm the news with her online fans. Skelton, 40, and Leeds Rhinos rugby player, Myler, had welcomed their third child, Elsie, four months before ending the marriage.
Helen shocked her followers at the time when she broke the upsetting news on Instagram. "Very sad to say that Richie and I are no longer a couple. He has left the family home. We will be doing our best to co parent our small children," she wrote.
Helen and Richie share three kids (TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED)
Helen Skelton says Strictly 'made her remember who she is' after marriage split
Following their shock split, rugby league Richie, 34, began dating Stephanie Thirkill - whose millionaire father Andrew Thirkill is president of Richie’s club, Leeds Rhinos. Since going public with their romance last year, Richie and Stephanie have since welcomed a baby of their own.
In her new autobiography In My Stride, Helen has opened up about the impact that her marriage split left on her, and how she hoped that throwing herself into Strictly rehearsals would take some of the pain away.
Helen recalls her rehearsals with Gorka, and how he once asked her why she didn't feel sexy. "In week two, Gorka asked me why I didn’t feel sexy. It was an awkward question that immediately made me cringe. He was asking a woman with three children under six, whose husband had just left her and was with another woman, TO BE SEXY. I thought, ‘Who would feel good about themselves in that scenario," she wrote.
Helen went on to admit that she 'still has questions' over her marriage split - but the Countryfile star is now said to be back on the dating scene, over one year after her split with Richie. And back in August, it was reported that Helen had officially divorced Richie.
According to the Daily Mail, Helen was handed official divorce papers from Richie this week which have legally cemented the end of their ten-year marriage. The pair are now waiting the granting of a decree absolute which will legally cement the end of their marriage. This will be issued by courts with neither party contesting the divorce.