Helen Skelton, the 42-year-old broadcaster known for her roles on Blue Peter, Countryfile, and Morning Live, has revealed that her family has banned her from applying to MasterChef due to her lack of culinary skills. Speaking to OK! magazine, the mother of three admitted that her children have pleaded with her not to enter the popular cooking competition.
Family Life and Daily Routine
Skelton, who lives on her parents' farm in Cumbria with her children Ernie, 11, Louis, nine, and Elsie, four, described what a successful day looks like for her now. 'If I've managed to get the food shop, do my work, get the kids somewhere and do a bit of exercise, I'm winning,' she told OK!
The star, who separated from her ex-husband, rugby player Richie Myler, in 2022, balances her television career with raising her children. She emphasised the importance of comfort and practicality in her wardrobe, saying, 'When you've got kids, a job and a life, you've got to be fast on your feet, you've got to be comfortable.'
New Fashion Collaboration with JD Williams
Skelton has partnered with midlife fashion brand JD Williams to launch a 12-look Summer Edit, designed with stylist Gok Wan. The collection is based on body scans of real women, ensuring a better fit. 'JD Williams body-scan real women, so you don't try anything on and think, 'Oh god, my thighs are too big,' because the clothes match what we're actually meant to look like,' she explained.
Skelton highlighted the confidence that the right outfit can bring. 'Your clothes are like your armour. If you feel good, everything is easier,' she said, adding that this applies even to the school gates, where she believes women should not feel pressured to look like they are 'ready for a fashion show.'
Body Confidence and Ageing
The broadcaster pushed back against the notion that women become 'invisible' in middle age. 'When you hit this chapter of life, you've got a lot of people to look after, so you have to step forward and be the matriarch rather than stand in the background,' she said.
Skelton acknowledged that bodies change with age but urged women not to compare themselves to unrealistic standards. 'I don't know why we put pressure on ourselves to look 25 when we're not 25,' she remarked. She also revealed that she gets 'little bits of Botox,' which her son recently complimented, saying her skin looked 'banging.'
Social Media and Self-Image
Skelton criticised the overwhelming influence of social media on self-image. 'You soak up images of perfection without even realising it,' she said. She regularly clears her cookies to reset her algorithms and expressed optimism about the government's upcoming under-16s social media ban, which is scheduled to take effect next year.
'Conversations about what it is and how it's put together are really important,' she added, acknowledging that social media is here to stay but that individuals can control how much they engage with it.
Strictly Come Dancing and Life Lessons
Reflecting on her time on Strictly Come Dancing, where she reached the final in 2022 with partner Gorka Marquez, Skelton said the experience taught her to appreciate her body for what it can do rather than how it looks. 'My body served me up three healthy kids, so I can't knock it,' she said.
She now applies the show's advice to 'fake it till you make it' in her daily life. 'You've got to step out tall and put your invisible crown on,' she said. Skelton also hosts the daily Strictly Fitness segment on Morning Live, where she admits her agent often tells her to 'take it seriously,' but she prefers to have fun.
Future Reality TV Plans
Skelton expressed interest in appearing on Celebrity Traitors, though she doubts she would last long due to her lack of a poker face. However, she confirmed that MasterChef is off the table. 'My kids are like, 'Please don't do that, for the love of God.'' She added, 'Harsh, but probably fair.'
