Helen Skelton has been caught up in a new Strictly 'love triangle' as she swaps Gorka Marquez for Kai Widdrington on the Strictly Come Dancing tour this year.
Helen, 39, partnered with Spanish dancer Gorka Marquez all the way to the finale last year before narrowly missing out on winning the Glitterball trophy. Viewers watching the BBC final saw a furious Gorka after missing out on the Strictly win, and shortly after it was revealed the 32-year-old will not be involved in the upcoming tour.
Switching partners has been an adjustment for Helen as she partners 6ft1 Kai after weeks of dancing with 5ft6 Gorka.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: "It's really difficult not to be with Gorka because we're such good friends.
"I've been asking him for advice a lot, so it feels like he's here. I'd have loved for him to do it, but it's almost like he's in the group."
She added: "It's such a tight knit group in the studio anyway. We all talked and all had a laugh. so it's different, but it wasn't a worry and like 'oh my god what's going to happen'.
"We knew each other from the series, we all hung out and spoke a lot. I was very lucky Kai was able to do it."
In a post on social media, Helen also shared a sweet declaration to Gorka after partnering her through a rocky year in 2022. Before joining Strictly last year, Helen had split from husband Richie Myler, just months after giving birth to their third child. Not long after, it emerged the Leeds Rhino's star had coupled up and got his new partner pregnant.
She posted a highlights video of her time on the show and wrote: "As the frozen Princess said LET IT GO. but before I do, I’m posting this flash back to the strictly final for three reasons: one it’s taken me this long to work out the drop box/video clip situation."
She then moved onto praising her former dance partner Gorka: "Two: there’s about to be a whole lot of strictly tour spam that doesn’t involve @gorka_marquez and I need to mark this chapter with an acknowledgement and appreciation of my wingman.
"Three: These are memories that make me smile and sometimes it takes a couple of weeks of hindsight to really appreciate what went down on and off the dance floor."
TV Presenter Helen concluded by writing: "You are all just phenomenal!!!!! So so much love for you lot! Can’t wait for you to go around the country and get all the appreciation of the nation that you all deserve!!"
