Helen Skelton has candidly discussed the emotional fallout from her divorce from rugby player Richie Myler, describing the experience as humiliating due to public scrutiny and gossip in her small community. The BBC presenter, who stars on Morning Live, was married for nine years before the couple separated in 2022, just four months after the birth of their third child.
Public Split and Immediate Aftermath
In April 2022, Skelton announced the split on Instagram, stating: "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." Despite her characteristic resilience, the 42-year-old admitted she faced intrusive questions and patronising looks from strangers. Speaking to The Times, she revealed that her dairy farmer father, Richard, would overhear gossip at his local golf club, and even "Susan from the meat counter at Sainsbury's" would ask about her dating life during grocery shopping. She said: "It felt humiliating to me because of where I'm from. I didn't enjoy walking down the street and people knowing stuff about my past."
Strictly Come Dancing as a Turning Point
Later in 2022, Skelton joined Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Gorka Marquez. The pair danced all the way to the final, finishing as runners-up. Her Couple's Choice routine to Mein Herr from Cabaret became a defining moment, which she described as a "revenge dance." She explained: "It struck a chord. One of the dancers said, 'You did that for all of us, didn't you?' I wanted to have my own narrative. I was sick of the patronising looks, the 'Ooh, how are you?' I didn't have the capacity to say, 'I'm brilliant, how are you?' That's what the dance did."
Autobiography and Moving Forward
In her 2023 autobiography In My Stride, Skelton detailed the shock of the breakup: "I was in shock. I know that following break-ups, people often say they didn't see it coming, and it sounds like a cliche, but that was me." Further heartache followed when Myler moved on with marketing executive Stephanie Thirkill, who gave birth to their first child together in April 2023. Despite this, Skelton expressed a desire for her ex-husband to remain a constant presence in their children's lives, writing: "I want them to know that we loved each other, but things change, and that's OK, too."
Rumours and Current Status
Since the divorce, Skelton has not been in a public relationship, though rumours have persisted about a romance with Morning Live co-host Gethin Jones. She recently shut down such speculation, insisting: "We just work together, we are not together. No, no, no. We are just work friends."
