Strictly's Helen Skelton makes admission over…

Strictly's Helen Skelton makes admission over 'relationships and tough questions'

Strictly Come Dancing star Helen Skelton opened up on how she's found life balancing the BBC dance competition and 'relationships' this year.

Helen took to the It Takes Two sofa with pro dance partner Gorka Marquez on Wednesday night to discuss how she's found Strictly and she spoke candidly about the challenges, including a time she legged it out the fire escape.

But Helen also talked about the 'emotional rollercoaster' of 'strutting it in a little dress' while balancing her job, career and home life as a 39-year-old mum of three kids.

Host Janette Manrara asked Helen: "What has Strictly meant to you?"

Helen then told her: "I came into this and I underestimated it because I thought it's dancing and nice dresses and interesting people but it's weird, it's so much more than that.

"It makes you ask questions of yourself you don't wanna ask. I'm a 39-year-old woman with three kids and you do your job and your relationships and your house and your career and all that.

Helen and Gorka joined Janette Manrara on It Takes Two on Wednesday (BBC)

"And you don't really just challenge yourself. And find joy in yourself. So yeah it's been a rollercoaster of emotions that I just didn't expect.

"I mean, week one I hid didn't I."

Gorka added: "She just went to the fire exit and leave I was like 'where you going?'"

Helen was then moved to defend herself, adding: "But if you're not used to it. And you're not used to strutting it into the middle of the dancefloor in a little dress and shaking it all about, it's a challenge.

"And I'm glad that I've taken that challenge on."

Janette then asked about the pair's scores - the lowest they've had so far this series with a 5/8/8/8, the 5 being from Craig.

Gorka told her: "I think Craig had a temperature maybe. It was not a pleasant place to be especially now the competition is so tight, but we made it through."

Helen added: "It'd be boring if you got 10s and 9s all the time wouldn't it? It would be boring!"

Helen Gorka said she wasn't used to 'strutting in the middle of the dancefloor in a little dress' (BBC)

The pair were then replayed Craig Revel Horwood's criticism, in which he called Helen 'stiff and rigid' before he gave her a 5.

Gorka didn't agree, adding: "Look at her! The way she moves her hips and her general movement, that dress never stopped moving it was like she was shaking it 24/7."

This week the pair will be dancing a couple's choice to a song from musical theatre's Cabaret.

Strictly will be back this Friday, not Saturday, in a change to the schedule to make way for World Cup coverage.

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Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC1 on Friday, December 2

Strictly It Takes Two returns every weekday on BBC2.

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