Former Blue Peter and current Countryfile presenter Helen Skelton has candidly revealed the intense fear she experienced during her initial weeks on Strictly Come Dancing, admitting she actually attempted to quit the popular BBC competition. Speaking on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast, Skelton disclosed she felt "terrified" and even tried to leave the show, hiding on a fire escape and seriously considering climbing a massive wall to escape the studio.
Overwhelming Nerves and a Dramatic Escape Attempt
Helen Skelton, who joined Strictly Come Dancing shortly after her separation from rugby league player Richie Myler, described how her anxiety reached such a peak that she contemplated physically fleeing the production. "I ran and hid on the fire escape," she confessed. "They filmed Strictly next to The Crown, and there's a massive wall. I kid you not, I was looking at the wall and thinking, 'I could get over that.'"
Gorka Márquez's Crucial Support and Encouragement
After being persuaded by a production team member to return to the studio, Skelton found essential support from her professional dancing partner Gorka Márquez. She recalled his pivotal words of encouragement: "I remember he said to me: 'It's like jumping out of a plane, you've got to engage the parachute.'" Skelton praised the Spanish dancer as "so wonderful" for his unwavering support, which proved instrumental in building her confidence from those anxious beginnings.
From Terror to Triumph in the Strictly Final
Remarkably, Skelton transformed from that terrified contestant hiding on the fire escape to a confident performer who reached the Strictly final. Her journey culminated in a memorable Cabaret-themed Couple's Choice routine that earned a perfect score of 40 from the judges. "By the final, I've gone from hiding on the fire escape, being terrified to look at the dance floor, to just freestyling," she explained. "Even all the professionals were crying laughing. They were like, 'Who are you?'"
Challenges and Controversies Along the Way
Skelton's Strictly experience wasn't without difficulties, including an unfortunate costume mishap during the semi-finals when part of her outfit tore and hung around her leg for the remainder of the routine. Despite this setback, she persevered and secured an impressive 37 points. The scoring saw Shirley Ballas awarding the lowest mark of 8, while Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke both gave perfect 10s.
Addressing personal challenges, Skelton revealed she remained determined that her marital separation wouldn't impact her performance or influence the judges' scoring. "A few people said if you'd have just cried and gone on about what was going on, you might have won it," she remembered being told about her personal situation.
Friends' Advice and Childhood Dancing Background
Skelton shared that numerous friends had urged her to take up the Strictly opportunity, particularly due to significant public interest in her marriage split. "My friends were just like, 'Just do it. Just do it,'" she recounted. "It's going to swallow you up. Just do it. Like, there's so many people talking about you and looking at you. They may as well look at you in a sparkly dress, mate.'"
Following her decision to accept the invitation, some audience members claimed she might have had an advantage due to her childhood tap-dancing background. Addressing these claims during an appearance on ITV's Lorraine, Skelton clarified: "I found it so funny when they said it was a fix — Helen's a tap-dancing champion. When I was seven, yes, I did tap dancing. Like lots of little girls and boys, I did dancing and absolutely loved it. I hit an age where I didn't want to be in a leotard in public and I gave it up. I wish I hadn't!"
Despite the initial terror that nearly caused her to abandon the competition, Helen Skelton's Strictly journey ultimately became a story of personal transformation and resilience, taking her from contemplating escape on a fire escape to performing confidently in the final and participating in the subsequent Strictly tour.
