The twentieth season of Strictly Come Dancing is launching on Friday (September 23) and will be followed by its first live show on Saturday (September 24). Fifteen celebrities have been perfecting their moves in order to impress the judges - and it will soon be time to put them to the test.
Singers, soap stars and comedians are among the line-up this year and they'll be looking to wow experts Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood with their skill. Meanwhile, presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back to keep the Strictly ship running as smoothly as possible.
The final contestant to be confirmed for the competition was presenter Helen Skelton. The 39-year-old is no stranger to a challenge, having competed in several gruelling sporting events during her career.
While presenting Blue Peter for five years she took part in the Namibia Ultra Marathon, cycled to the South Pole and kayaked over 2,018 miles down the Amazon River. Since then she’s been a familiar face on our TV screens and is known for presenting Countryfile and covering major sporting events for BBC Sport.
She’s also presented on ITV’s Lorraine, BT Sport’s FA Women’s Super League football matches, Channel 4’s Rugby league Super league coverage and Inside The Superbrands in addition to the highly successful On The Farm series for Channel 5 and being a regular on ITV Tonight.
As a radio presenter, Helen has stood in for Dermot O’Leary and OJ Borg on BBC Radio 2, hosted various shows across BBC Radio 5 Live and has just been announced as the host of the new-look BBC Radio 5 Live Sunday morning show. Outside of broadcasting, Helen has also published a novel, Amy Wild: Amazon Summer. And Wild Girl. A guide to adventures.
Helen lives in a gorgeous cottage in Leeds with her three children - Ernie, seven, Louis, five and eight-month-old Elsie. In April, she announced her split from husband, rugby league player Richie Myler, whom she married in December 2013, saying they were "no longer a couple".
The pair met in 2011 and tied the knot two years later at St. Michael's Church in Kirkby Thore, Cumbria. The couple welcomed their third child together, a daughter named Elsie Kate, in January this year - just months before their split. Helen and Richie are also parents to sons Ernie, six, and Louis, four.
In a statement about taking part in the show, Helen said: "I’m really excited to get stuck into a fun adventure. My family and friends have always loved the show and can’t wait for me to get started."
When asked what she thought would be the biggest challenge, Helen has said: "I’m not that touchy feely, so I think the physical closeness I’ll need to have with my partner will take a bit of getting used to!"
READ NEXT:
-
Emeli Sande announces engagement to girlfriend months after coming out
-
BBC Strictly's Will Mellor's cheeky comment to Kym Marsh as she vows it's time a grandma won show
-
Rylan Clark leaves fans disappointed as he shares BBC Strictly Come Dancing news
-
BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Stacey Dooley shows off growing baby bump as fans speculate gender
