Helen Skelton's estranged husband Richie Myler has shared a string of rare snaps with his three children, who he shares with his ex-wife.
The Leeds Rhino rugby ace found himself at the centre of a media storm when it came to light that his girlfriend, Stephanie Thirkill was expecting their first child together.
Richie and Helen announced their split in April 2022, six months before he and Stephanie revealed they were expecting.
But days after the news, it appears Richie was spending some quality time with his children, Ernie, Louis and daughter Elsie Kate, as they were joined by his mum, Margaret.
Taking to Instagram, Richie shared a snap of the three children and Margaret watching on as he played on the pitch, alongside a selfie with Ernie and Louis.
Captioning his snap, the star penned: "Grateful," alongside a four-leafed clover and a red love heart.
While Richie had previously disabled his comments on his uploads, his mum penned: "Amazing time had by all."
Despite splitting just months after Helen gave birth, sources claim that the rugby star and his new girlfriend have nothing but respect for Helen and she was one of the first people to know about their baby news.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, a source close to Stephanie said: "She has told me, 'It's upsetting that anyone could be judging me when I am so early on in pregnancy. I want to be able to enjoy this time without it being tarnished as I've always dreamed of being a mum.
"I have never meant to cause any upset to Helen but I do feel I'm being painted as some sort of horrible person.'"
The mole added: "Steph has kept a dignified silence but is very upset by some of the social media comments that have made her out as some sort of marriage wrecker when she is nothing of the sort."
It's believed that Stephanie only recently passed the 12-week point of her pregnancy but was over the moon after discovering she was expecting.
Since striking up a romance, the pair have gone public and even enjoyed a romantic trip to Cornwall, while Stephanie recently joined her beau at the Man of Steel Awards in September.
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