Helen Skelton, presenter of BBC One’s Countryfile program, is back to work following her split from husband Richie Myler. A month after announcing that she and Myler were headed for divorce, Skelton returned to TV on May 21 to host Channel 4’s rugby league coverage, marking her first televised appearance since her split.
Skelton covered the rugby league amid the absence of Adam Hills, who was in Australia at the time, according to The Sun. For her return to TV, the longtime presenter, 38, wore an oversized black blazer, black trousers, and brown boots. Given that Skelton had been absent from her BBC One presenting job for weeks, fans were excited to see her back on their TVs, with reactions pouring in on social media. One Twitter user wrote, “I do love [Helen Skelton]! Fantastic presenter and is so passionate about our ace game.” Another person tweeted, “I’m sure it can’t be easy for her given recent events but she always does a great job because she’s a top quality professional.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Skelton’s return to TV came nearly a month after she announced on April 25 that she and Ryler were divorcing after eight years of marriage. The pair married in December 2013 and share three children – Ernie, 6, Louis, 5, and little Elsie, whom the former couple welcomed just four months before announcing their split. In that April 25 post, Skelton shared, “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.”
Although neither Skelton nor Myler have offered further comment on their decision to split, the Daily Mail reported on May 14 that Myler was dating Stephanie Thirkill, the daughter of the multi-millionaire President of the Leeds Rhinos club he plays for. Stephanie and Richie reportedly met at a rugby dinner last fall, though Myler has reportedly insisted “there was no crossover, that he began the romance with Stephanie after their marriage collapsed.” According to reports, however, Skelton allegedly hired a private investigator after she became suspicious of her estranged husband’s behavior before their split. The Sun reports that she has allegedly since contacted Thirkill’s husband Richard Sugden “to compare notes on the timeline of the relationship.”
Skelton has not addressed the reports that she hired a private investigator. Amid her split, the TV presenter has remained focused on her family. On Thursday, May 26, she shared a family photo featuring herself, her three children, her brother, Gavin, and their parents, captioning the image, “can I go back to last weekend pls. Crew.”
