Tonight will see Strictly Come Dancing 2022 come to a close after 12 weeks for the highly-anticipated final. Just four celebrities remain in the competition who will all be competing to take home the coveted glitterball trophy - including much-loved presenter Helen Skelton.
The mum-of-three, who split from her ex-husband Richie Myler before joining the BBC dancing show, has been determined to make it to the end and says the overwhelming experience has changed her as a person. Since Leeds Rhinos star Richie, 32, who is now expecting a baby with Stephanie Thirkill, 32, walked out on their marriage, Helen, 39, and her children moved to her parent's farm in Cumbria.
Over the course of the past few weeks, viewers have witnessed the Countryfile presenter gradually bounce back from her heartbreak while she has consistently wowed judges with her natural dance ability. Fans have even hailed her iconic Mein Herr performance as her 'revenge dance'.
Her mum, Janet Skelton, says her daughter wants to win the series "for the kids".
Mrs Skelton told BBC Radio Cumbria on Tuesday: "I'm so proud, she's worked really hard... It's been a great adventure for her and for us as a family."
She also admitted that training for Strictly had given the ex-Blue Peter presenter "a lot more confidence".
It's apparent Helen has thrown herself feet first into the competition, which has seen her break down in tears on camera on a number of occasions as she reflects on how far she has come.
"I definitely am a different person from when we started," she told her professional partner Gorka Marquez a fortnight ago.
Appearing on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, she continued: "I came into this and I underestimated it because I thought, 'it's dancing and nice dresses and interesting people.'
"But it's weird, it's so much more than that. It makes you ask questions of yourself you don't want to ask.
"I'm a 39-year-old woman with three kids.
"You do your job and your relationships and your house and career and all of that and you don't really just challenge yourself and find joy in yourself. So it's been a rollercoaster of emotions I didn't expect."
Ahead of tonight's final, Helen also revealed that her time in the competition has helped her take back control of her life and describes finally being comfortable in her own skin as 'liberating'.
"I've found confidence and I think [Gorka] is clever in that he's never made it about being sexy," she explained.
"It's about being sassy and powerful and being in control and that's a wonderfully freeing thing for anybody when they feel in control of themselves and what they're doing.
"So I don't think it's about being sexy, it's about being confident in your own skin and being who you are.
"The think [Gorka] kept saying to me at the beginning that I did get to remember was 'Just own it, own it'. I was like, 'What does that even mean?' And now I get it.
"It's been a wonderfully liberating thing to just be happy in your own skin and your own shoes."
The Strictly Come Dancing final commences at 7.05pm on Saturday, December 17 on BBC One.
