Known for her chic sense of style and adventurous approach to life, Helen Skelton is a force to be reckoned with.
As well as being the mother of three wonderful children, Ernie, ten, Louis, eight and Elsie, three, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Richie Myler, 42-year-old Helen stars on our screens on BBC Morning Live, part of a cast which she tells us she couldn't be closer to in this exclusive interview.
But with a regular on-screen gig comes constant scrutiny and speculation on not only her fashion but also her relationships with the cast. When asked how she copes with all eyes on her, she says, chatting to HELLO! from her home in the Lake District, it's simply "just part of the job."
© Getty"I wish everyone were watching," she laughed. "We're always chasing ratings these days! It is what it is; it's just part of the job. I love making national network telly in the north."
And as for her bond with her cast and crew on the BBC show, she said she couldn't ask for a better team. When asked if they are all thick as thieves, the TV star explained: "It's so cliche and cringe that we're like it actually isn't it. Sara Cox, for instance, just finished her epic, unbelievable challenge. It got to the point where we were all like, 'Oh, this WhatsApp needs to stop cause everyone's so involved!'"
"Everybody's supportive of each other. It sounds really cliche, but it is a total family. Gloria Hunniford came in a few weeks ago, and obviously, she's an icon and has done every show going, and is a queen. She said: 'God don't take for granted the atmosphere here."
© BBC/InstagramHelen explains that the cast go back years and have been through everything together, from marriages to babies. "We've all been friends for years anyway. Michelle Ackerly and I flat shared when we were in London years ago. I was on Blue Peter, and she was working in production on Blue Peter.
"We've known each other forever, and we've lived together, so like you've seen each other through marriages and births and kids. She's at a totally different stage cos she's got her tiny new gorgeous baby, and I've got my three. It's like any workplace when people get on. The only difference with ours is that people see it. People get to join our workplace."
Family fashion
One thing that we had to discuss was Helen's impeccable sense of style. And while she credits the amazing people she works with on her shows for help with her looks, there is one unexpected person who offers his unfiltered advice, her middle son, Louis, 8, who is Helen's unofficial fashion assistant.
"If my friends have got work trips or business trips, they come over - that's the only thing I bring to the group is that I'll like put clothes together for them - and my kids are so funny.
© Instagram"My friends will come round and be like: 'Oh, I'll just borrow that black dress' and literally my middle son will go: 'You can wear black anytime you're only going to this event once.' My friend works in music, and so my middle son is like: 'You can get away with anything in music, Kim.'
She continued: "I ordered some dresses online that just arrived, but I couldn't get them fastened. I finally got it up and [Louis] said, 'I'm not sure it's doing anything for you, ' and I was like, 'You're so cute.'"
© InstagramWhether it's her stylish on-screen looks or an adventurous family day out, Helen always looks immaculate, so it's no surprise she is a Brand Ambassador for GO Outdoors and recently released her top picks for the Autumn/Winter season.
"You ask any working mum who does school runs and football practices, like you, your uniform is leggings, practical shoes, and a massive hoodie or a massive coat, and that's kind of what you live in. They want to wear something that can go from park run to coffee shop to school run, and I think that's kind of where GO Outdoors ticks all those boxes.
© GO OutdoorsI love working with them, I'm really proud to be part of the brand."
She adds of her adorable daughter: "When I put an outfit on Elsie, she loves having a pocket that she can put stuff in, and you remember when you were a little girl, if you put an outfit on that you love, like a dress with pockets, you skip around."
© Go OutdoorsChristmas plans
As for her family Christmas plans, Helen said she will be putting up her decorations this weekend. "I'm big on Christmas and big on the decks, and as I said, they're little, so I'm absolutely rinsing it; we go all out.
"They're at that perfect age, you know, everything's started. They've all got their little roles as well. We never even took our Christmas lights down from last year!"
"We quite often go to the cinema on Christmas Eve, get a takeaway or go to the pub, and then all sort of curl up at home. Boxing Day generally involves football."
Helen is a proud ambassador for GO Outdoors, the UK’s biggest outdoor retailer. Shop Helen’s new Autumn Winter collection online and in-stores nationwide.
