Helen Skelton was left devastated when her husband Richie Myler, an England and Leeds Rhinos rugby league star, walked out on their family. The couple, who married in 2013, have three children together - Ernie, eight, Louis, six, and Elsie, one.
In April 2022, Richie left the family home when their youngest daughter Elsie was just four months old. Helen announced at the time: "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."
Following their separation, Helen had to endure even more heartache, as Richie began dating marketing executive Stephanie Thirkill, who is also 33 years old. Richie became acquainted with Stephanie at his previous rugby club, Leeds Rhinos, where Stephanie's father actively serves as president.
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In no time, the love birds revealed that Stephanie was expecting via their social media platforms. It is believed that Richie informed Helen of the baby news a few days earlier, as reports the Mirror.
Stephanie and Richie, who are currently in the midst of constructing their "dream home", have recently celebrated their daughter Olivia's first birthday. Rumours suggest they're expecting a second child soon.
A close source revealed to The Sun: "Richie and Stephanie are over the moon about adding to their family. It's been a wonderful year for them with their daughter Olivia celebrating her first birthday this month. They couldn't be happier."
However, the news of a second baby was bound to have come as another blow for Helen. A source told the Sun: "Helen found the news of Richie and Stephanie’s first child painful so this will be difficult. She is moving on as best she can and is focused on being a parent to their children."
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Prior to their split, the couple had been renovating a house near their family home in Yorkshire. Helen spoke about how they were managing to parent during this busy period and spending time apart: "No... We're not in the house together we are staying out of each other's way," she told the Mirror.
"We say this is the dream as we have breakfast, lunch and dinner together but then look after the kids in shifts. You appreciate the other in this situation. I don't think he'll ever say again, 'What do you do with the kids all day? ' Sometimes he would get in from work and he'd be that husband that would look at the kitchen and say, 'How is this still a mess when she's been off all day? ' Now he's done it he's like, 'How does she stay sane?"
The Countryfile host who recently turned 40 has finally broken her silence and elaborated on her split after her initial statement. The revelation comes out as part of her autobiography titled In My Stride.
According to Helen, the split instigated her decision to participate in Strictly Come Dancing. In the book, she concedes she was "blindsided" when Richie decided to end their eight-year union and asserts: "I was in shock. I know that following break-ups, people often say they didn't see it coming and it sounds like a cliche, but that was me."
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