Helen Skelton has spoken candidly about her body image during her run as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, with the presenter saying she is "grateful" for her experience on the long-running BBC series.
Skelton participated in the popular dance competition back in 2022 alongside professional partner Gorka Márquez, with the pair finishing as a runner-up after Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal lifted the Glitterball Trophy.
For Skelton, however, her experience on Strictly gave her far more than just an impressive accolade, but the opportunity to reflect on her self-image following the birth of her daughter.
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"I was lucky enough to do Strictly, and I'll never forget the first day walking in," she shared at the recent launch of her JD Williams summer edit. "I got handed this teeny tiny, sparkly dress. It was seven months after having my daughter, so I didn't know which way was up.
"[Vicky Gill, Strictly's costume designer] put me in this dress, she put her hand inside my top and lifted my boobs, it was hilarious, and I've never been so grateful. We had this wild conversation."
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"Two of the girls in the room, they didn't have children, were like, 'Oh my love, what's going on?' and two other women did have children, and we started talking about the pencil case test," she continued. "It was so brilliant.
"They won't mind me saying. Molly Rainford and Fleur East, neither had children and both had boobs like two bald men in a headlock, and the rest of them were like, 'You wait guys – first of all, it's one pencil under there and then it's two and then it's a pencil case!' So yeah, everything over time heads south!"
Skelton shares three children with ex-husband Richie Myler, with her youngest, Elsie, now four years old. Since becoming a mother, the presenter has spoken openly about the realities of parenthood, and has shared her new perspective on her body after giving birth.
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"I don’t look at my body and go, 'Ooh, there's loose bits and there's saggy bits,'" she explained. "I'm like, 'Thank God I've got healthy children.' I breast-fed three children and they're all great, healthy and happy.
"So I look at my body in a completely different way and I'm grateful for it. I think each year, I realise last year might have been better than this year, but it's all still working, and I'm all still grateful for it. I don't know if it's going to get better or worse, but it's working!"
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.
Helen Skelton is fronting JD Williams new summer edit, with the campaign exploring body confidence, dressing for your shape and embracing fashion in midlife, backed by new research of 2,000 UK women.
Soaps Writer, Inside Soap and Digital Spy
Lily joined Inside Soap as Junior Writer in 2024 after studying Politics and History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). While studying, Lily’s work for LSE's student newspaper was shortlisted by the Student Publication Association for its Best Feature award. Promoted to Writer in late 2024, she regularly interviews talent from Britain’s favourite soaps and much-loved dramas. Her highlights include interviewing the stars on the red carpet at the Inside Soap Awards, visiting the Coronation Street cobbles and working alongside Albert Square legends (yes, Big Mo was there!) on an exclusive photo shoot.
