Helen Skelton, the adventurous presenter known for her remarkable feats—from paddling down the Amazon to tightrope walking between Battersea Power Station’s chimneys—takes a refreshingly grounded view of success today.
“I feel like I’ve made a success of the day if I’ve managed to do everything I need to do,” Helen told OK! magazine with a laugh. “If I’ve done the food shop, worked, taken the kids somewhere, and squeezed in a bit of exercise, I’m winning.”
At 42, Helen has been a familiar face on British TV for nearly two decades, with highlights including Blue Peter, Countryfile, Strictly Come Dancing, and now BBC One’s Morning Live. But her off-screen life revolves around her three children—Ernie, 11, Louis, nine, and Elsie, four—whom she primarily raises in Cumbria after separating from ex-husband Richie Myler in 2022.
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Her busy life demands practicality alongside style. “When you’ve got kids, a job, and a life, you’ve got to be fast on your feet and comfortable,” she explained. “At work, I’m in heels; off work, it’s leggings and a top knot!”
This blend of comfort and confidence inspired her collaboration with JD Williams and fashion stylist Gok Wan to create a range that champions real women’s figures. “JD Williams body-scan real women, so you don’t try something on and think, ‘Oh god, my thighs are too big,’ because the clothes fit what we actually look like,” Helen says.
For Helen, clothes are more than aesthetics—they’re armour that helps boost confidence. “If you turn up in a scruffy jumper, you shrink into a corner. But with something nice on, you step out tall and ready. Clothes help you feel good and make everything easier.”
She’s also passionate about dismantling the midlife invisibility myth. “In your 40s, you juggle house, family, relationships, and self. Feeling good in on-trend clothes might be low on your list, but this is when you need to be the matriarch stepping forward—not fading into the background.”
Helen openly discusses changing bodies with age, rejecting unrealistic pressures. “Even confident women see changes. Why do we pressure ourselves to look 25 when we’re not? I don’t look 35 because I’m not 35!” She admits to getting occasional Botox but embraces her natural self with humor.
Social media’s barrage of curated perfection is another challenge. “I clear my cookies regularly to reset algorithms because it can get overwhelming,” she says. Helen supports the upcoming UK ban on social media for under-16s as one step toward protecting young people.
Reflecting on her journey, Helen shares newfound self-acceptance: “Now I get what ‘comfortable in your own skin’ means. I’m grateful for what my body can do—running after my kids, buttoning my jeans—that’s a privilege.”
Her time on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 taught her to appreciate and “own” her body. “Those dancers see their bodies as ‘Look what this body can do for me!’ not just as something to be thinner or tighter. My body gave me three healthy kids. I work out to keep my head peachy, not to make my bum peachy.”
Helen’s confidence shines in her Morning Live Strictly Fitness segments, where she enjoys the fun more than the formality. “My agent tells me to take it seriously, but I’m just having a lovely time!”
Always up for new challenges, Helen jokes about reality TV: “I’ve got no poker face, so I’d last a day on Celebrity Traitors! And they’ve banned me from MasterChef because I’m terrible in the kitchen. My kids begged me not to do it—harsh but fair!”
Helen’s partnership with JD Williams has birthed a stylish 12-look Summer Edit, catering to real women in sizes 8 to 32, designed for effortless summer moments and available online now.