Dan Walker has shared how he has been having phone calls with Helen Skelton as she takes part in Strictly Come Dancing. The former BBC Breakfast host has been sharing some motivational words with the Countryfile presenter following his own successful stint on the show last year.
He finished in fifth place, making it to the quarter-final with professional dance partner Nadiya Bychkova. Meanwhile, Helen has made it through to week six of the BBC One dance competition, which this weekend will be the annual Halloween theme, alongside Spanish dancer Gorka Marquez.
And having taken part in the competition himself, and almost making it to the very end of the experience, Dan may be one of the best-placed people to offer Helen, 39, some advice. The 45-year-old has revealed that he's had several phone chats with the presenter to share advice from his own time on the show.
"I know Helen Skelton really well and I've been talking to her quite a bit and I think he's been fantastic and I told her she's going to be there for quite some time," Dan told the Daily Star. "She rang me the week before she went on and I told her 'you have to go into it with her eyes wide open.'"
Reflecting on his own experience, Dan added: "From my experience of it you have to enjoy it as much as you can and you never want to finish it and think 'Ugh, I wish I allowed myself to enjoy it more.'"
On Saturday, Helen earned her highest Strictly score to date after impressing her judges with a Charleston to the Blue Peter theme song, the show she presented from 2008 until 2013. The episode saw the 12 remaining couples pay homage to the BBC following its 100th anniversary by dancing to theme tunes from iconic shows or dance in tribute to one of the BBC’s most loved services.
Helen and Gorka were first in the ballroom as they moved to Mike Oldfield’s theme tune for the children’s show. She dressed in red dungarees and her partner Gorka, 34, donned red trousers as they performed before revealing a puppet creation of the judges. And the pair secured a score of 35, with judge Anton Du Beke describing it as Helen's “best dance yet”, and Craig Revel Horwood agreed that it was “confident” and “energising”.
Head judge Shirley Ballas also remained on her feet in a standing ovation as viewers watching at home also gushed over Helen and Gorka's routine. The pair topped the leaderboard alongside wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał who performed a Quickstep to Imagine Dragons track, On Top Of The World.
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