Helen Skelton created her dream family home in the Yorkshire countryside, after she and husband Richie Myler relocated from France four years ago.
She shared regular updates on the hefty renovation project, which kicked off in 2020, on social media, telling her followers about her hopes for the gorgeous 1850s cottage.
Despite creating a family home that featured a climbing wall and stunning gardens for their kids to play in, Helen sadly announced on Monday that she and rugby player Richie, who she affectionately nicknamed Dickie, had parted ways.
The sad news comes just four months after the former Blue Peter presenter gave birth to their third child, daughter Elsie, as the couple are already parents to boisterous boys Ernie, 6, and Louis, 5.
“Very sad to say that Richie and I are no longer a couple. He has left the family home. We will be doing our best to co parent our small children,” she wrote in the surprise statement on her Instagram Stories.
The Countryfile star has shared glimpses into the beautiful home she and Richie created before their shock split, and her fans were bowled over with the quirky cottage.
The open-plan living space features a huge kitchen island, which Helen said she prioritised, as she wanted to have a place for their friends to gather around.
“When we lived in France, we had a massive island in the kitchen, and all our friends would come over with loads of plates of food and just dip in and out. That's what we wanted to recreate here,” she told Hello! magazine last year.
Helen and her husband moved to France in 2015, when Richie was playing for Catalans Dragons, but they moved back to Yorkshire in 2018 when he signed for Leeds Rhinos.
They fell in love with the cottage after viewing the garden, and despite needing a lot of work, they were committed to making it their forever home.
“We found a tiny broken house with a two acre garden. My dad saw it and said ‘it's a terrible idea’, but then he saw the garden and said 'you can't not live here,’” she told Country Living in 2020.
“She's an old house that someone put a lot of love into, especially in the garden,” Helen added.
The kitchen is the focal point of the quirky home, with chic teal coloured units, as well as marble worktops, gold fixtures, and exposed brick walls.
The traditional AGA cooker is nestled in the middle of the kitchen, and is finished off with a stunning gold speckled backsplash.
There's also a summer house in the garden, and an above ground swimming pool, which Helen confessed was the best purchase they could've made for their growing family.
Helen’s two boys also have a climbing wall and indoor swings, perfect for burning off any energy, and they can escape into the stunning garden if they’re in need of some fresh countryside air.
Helen opted to leave in some of the cottage’s original features, with walls being stripped back to reveal the unique brickwork, and cast iron radiators perfectly complementing the cottage’s quirky style.
