Richie Myler's new romance has left wife Helen Skelton and their three children even more heartbroken, sources said.
Leeds Rhino rugby player Richie, 31, is now thought to be dating a younger businesswoman in a relationship which started after his marriage ended "several weeks ago".
Former Blue Peter presenter Helen, 38, has been married to the rugby league player, 31, since 2013 and the estranged couple share three children together; Ernie, six, Louis, five, and four-month-old daughter Elsie.
This week Helen stunned her Instagram followers as she announced she and her husband are "no longer a couple" and he had moved out of the family home.
Helen announced that she had separated from her husband in a post on Instagram recently, with her writing: "Very sad to say that Richie and I are no longer a couple."
The post continued: "He has left the family home. We will be doing our best to co parent our small children." She concluded the message with broken heart emojis.
Sources say the news of her husband's new relationship has left her even more heartbroken.
Friends have said that Richie, 31, has seen the woman several times recently as their friendship has grown.
A source told The Sun : “Richie appears to have been spending a lot of his free time with this younger, successful businesswoman.
“They are now in the early stages of a relationship.”
The news came just hours after Helen - best known for having presented Blue Peter from 2008 until 2013 - had shared a lengthy post about the struggles of motherhood.
She wrote to her followers on the platform: "A mama is always full of emotions. Full of love. Full of anxiety and worries. Full of exhaustion and lack of energy."
"Full of mum guilt and doubt. Full of pride in her kids. Full of pure joy. She feels it all, that's the beauty of her, she carries it all, too. And yet she gets up every day and does it all over again."
Helen has been seen without her wedding ring since news of the split was shared - her husband broke cover just once.
Mirror Online has contacted Helen and Richie for comment.
