Strictly’s Helen Skelton opens up on devastating family tragedy that changed her life

STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Helen Skelton has opened up about her heart-breaking family tragedy that changed her life.

The star has suffered a loss of not one, but two, family members in horrifying circumstances.

In a recent episode of Strictly Come Dancing, Helen, 39 got emotional and shed a tear as she opened up about her journey over the past few weeks.

Speaking to her dance partner Gorka in their VT ahead of their Samba, the TV presenter explained how she feels like she is a different person since joining the show.

Helen began: “Last Saturday night was my favourite night on Strictly so far, everything just came together.”

She added: “I definitely am a different person to when we first started and I think for me what has been…”

The TV star then struggled to hold back the tears as she tried to hide her face from the camera.

In tears, she said: “Sorry, I’m really sorry.”

Gorka, who was sitting beside her in the rehearsal studio, said: “It’s okay,” before pulling her in for a hug and comforting her.

Helen welcomed her third child, daughter Elsie Kate, nearly a year ago on 28 December 2021 with her former husband Richie Myler, and the couple named their little girl after one of Helen’s family members who sadly passed away.

“We were always going to have Kate as a middle name after my cousin, who sadly passed away when we were in our 20s. I was really close to her; she was a scientist and crazy cool,” Helen told HELLO.

The TV presenter also opened up about the tragedy in a recent interview with The Telegraph, explaining: “My family are that sort of Cumbrian stoic, stiff upper lip, and if I sat here and talked about it they wouldn’t like it.

“But it’s a fact, I lost a cousin to breast cancer and I lost a cousin in an accident, and I’m a family person. I had that kind of childhood where I spent summer holidays with all my cousins. And it’s sh*t, there’s no two ways about it.”