Strictly Come Dancing is just a few weeks away however Helen Skelton had found herself at at centre of a ‘fix’ scandal. The 39-year-old has joined the new series months after splitting for her husband, Richie Myler.
While Helen may be hoping to throw herself into rehearsals and performing, and taking her mind off her forthcoming divorce, some are questioning if she might have too much of an upper hand.
Helen has in fact won a dance competition in her teenage years - she won the The Ken Dodd Tap Dancing Award 22 years ago.
READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing drama as bosses warned of 'naughty' Helen Skelton's 'wild' side
Back in 2016 when asked to reveal a secret about herself in an interview, ex-Blue Peter favourite Helen replied: “I won a Ken Dodd tap-dance award when I was 17,” The Sun reports.
She later said: “Not a lot of people know this, but I’m very good at tap dancing. People are often amazed I can tap dance.”
The Cumbrian-born star spent her childhood avidly training in the dance genre. Helen also appeared on Strictly’s Christmas special in 2012, where she was partnered with Russian pro Artem Chigvintsev, 40.
Their jive to All I Want For Christmas Is You was praised highly by the judges. Despite previously opening up on her dancing success last week, the Countryfile presenter told BBC Radio 5 Live: “People keep saying, ‘Can you dance?’ and I say, ‘No’ because isn’t it the point to learn to dance?”
Helen isn’t the only contestant with previous dance experience Comic Jayde Adams, 37, is a former competing disco dancer.
Speaking on her dancing background she said: “I actually have a dance background, which is actually a big no no on Strictly Come Dancing. Ashley Roberts can do it so I can definitely do it. But when I was a child, from the age of five to 17, my sister and I competed in freestyle disco dancing.”
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