Helen Skelton surprised her listeners on Sunday, when she revealed she was leaving her Radio 5 Live show after just a year.
Speaking live on air, the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant appeared to be fighting back tears as she said to her co-host Lloyd Griffith: "You're emotional because I'm leaving." "I am," he replied.
He then asked how the mum-of-three was feeling and Helen's voice broke as she responded: "I am not all right about it but, you know, needs must. The juggle is real."
Sharing that she was quitting in order to spend more time with her children, she went on: "There is an eight-year-old with a sideline who needs me."
Towards the end of the show, Helen said: "I've loved every minute of the past year... thank you to all the team and thank you to all of you. Its hard to know what to say without getting emotional."
© MCPIX/ShutterstockThe change comes ahead of the premiere of Helen's new show, which sees her reunite with her former BBC colleague, Dan Walker. Called Dan & Helen's Pennine Adventure, the programme involves the pair taking part in some big adventures as they travel along the Pennine Way.
In an interview with The Sun ahead of its launch on Channel 5 on Tuesday, 15 August, Dan revealed that filming had been emotional and at times scary.
© RexThe 46-year-old said: "There were a few tears along the way. But mostly you have a nice hug, then you crack on." He went on: "If anything, it was more about fear because I hate heights and I don't really like horses. But I had to abseil down a 100-metre cave and go on the back of a horse."
Paying tribute to her co-star, Helen added: "Dan was terrified but he did it. Fear is relative. It doesn’t matter whether you’re scared of a spider or abseiling out of a helicopter.
"You've got to do things that are scary and I think people will get a lot out of seeing Dan out of his comfort zone with the abseiling, although there's a bald patch of grass in North Yorkshire where he tore roots from the ground," the 40-year-old added.
© InstagramHelen took on the challenge of filming the show six months after delighting audiences with her performances on Strictly, where she was paired with Gorka Marquez and reached the final, although Hamza Yassin took home the glitter ball.
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The dance competition saw Helen grow in confidence and go from strength to strength following the end of her marriage to Leeds Rhinos rugby player Richie Myler.
© GettyThe pair, who tied the knot in December 2013, announced their shock split in April 2022. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Helen released a short statement confirming the end of their relationship, writing: "Very sad to say 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."
Richie and Helen share two sons and a daughter: Ernie, seven, Louis, five, and Elsie, one.
