Helen Skelton: who is Countryfile host’s husband Richie Myler, why did they split, how long were they married?

Earlier this year, TV presenter Helen Skelton has said she and her husband Richie Myler are “no longer a couple”.

The 38-year-old Countryfile and Blue Peter star announced the news in a post on her Instagram stories back in April.

Recently, Skelton appeared on an episode of Lorraine, hosted by Lorraine Kelly, in which the host addressed the recent goings ons in Skelton’s personal life.

Kelly said: “Helen, it's so good to see you. You've had a bit of a rough time, I know. But the best way to get over stuff is to just get out there again - out there working.”

Skelton replied: “I think anybody in my position would say the same.”

This is what you need to know about what happened.

Who is Helen Skelton?

Helen Skelton is an English TV presenter and actress, best known as a Blue Peter presenter between 2008 and 2013, and a presenter on Countryfile since 2014.

Born on 19 July 1983 in Carlisle, Cumbria, Skelton grew up on a farm in the Lake District. She attended the Cumbria Institute of the Arts where she graduated with a BA degree in journalism.

Skelton began her career in broadcasting by working on Border ITV and, after working in the newsroom at CRM Radio, she became a breakfast presenter on BBC Radio Cumbria in 2005.

She also made appearances on the children’s news show Newsround and its weekend sport spinoff Sportsround.

In 2008, it was announced that Skelton would be taking over from Zoe Salmon as a presenter on Blue Peter. She was then replaced by Radzi Chinyanganya when she announced her departure from the show in 2013.

Her other on screen projects from throughout her career include a Christmas special edition of Strictly Come Dancing, co-presenting the daytime BBC One show The Instant Gardener, guest presenting five episodes of Lorraine and appearing in an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.

She has also presented a number of sporting events, including presenting the 2014/15 London Marathon Highlights, covering the 2016 European Swimming Championships and reporting swimming coverage during the 2016 Summer Olympics.

In 2010, Skelton kayaked the entire length of the River Amazon for Sport Relief, tackling 2,010 miles on a solo expedition from Nauta, in Peru, to Almeirim, in Brazil.

Speaking about the challenge at the time, Skelton said: “It’s been tough but I’ve had enough highs to make it more than worthwhile.

“I’m very lucky to have amazing people in my life who’ve picked me up when things got hard and most importantly inspired me to carry on.

“My bottom is bruised, my shoulders are sore and the muscles in my neck are making it hard to differentiate between my head and my shoulders but to be honest I am proud of the war wounds.

“I reckon that you shouldn’t shy away from things because they’re tough or you might fail. Get stuck in and you never know where you might end up.”

The following year, Skelton took on the challenge of walking a 150 metre tightrope between chimneys at Battersea Power Station to raise money for Comic Relief.

Who is Richie Myler?

Richie Myler is an English professional rugby player who plays as a scrum-half back and fullback for the Leeds Rhinos, England and the England Knights.

Myler, born on 21 May 1990, in Widnes, Cheshire, began his rugby playing career with the Widnes Vikings in 2007.

From there, he signed a three year deal with Salford in 2008 and in 2009 made his Super League debut against Crusaders where he took Salford to victory by scoring a try.

In 2009, Myler became the most expensive teenage signing in Rugby League history when he took on a four year contract with Warrington worth around £200,000.

From there, he signed a two year deal with Catalans Dragons in 2016 and then a three year deal with Leeds Rhinos in 2017. He was named in the England training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and made his England debut that same year in a match against Wales.

How long were they married?

Skelton and Myler got engaged in 2012 and the two tied the knot at Kirby Thore’s St Michael’s church in Cumbria, in December 2013.

They welcomed their first child together in 2015, with the two finding out that Skelton was pregnant shortly before their first wedding anniversary.

Talking to Hello Magazine, Skelton said: “We’d been on a driving trip to Florida in December and I didn’t feel that well.

“We weren’t drinking much but I felt like I had a hangover. We thought it was the heat and sun but a little bit of us was wondering, “What if….?””

After returning to their home in Cheshire, Skelton took a pregnancy test which came back positive. She gave birth to their first son on 19 June 2015, whom they named Ernie.

Skelton gave birth to their second son, Louis, in April 2017. The following year, Skelton recalled to the Daily Mail the “painful and mortifying” home birth she experienced.

She said: “Louis, who is now 10 months, was born in France and this will remain my most vivid memory.

“Richie was playing a match in England when I realised I had gone into labour. I got home and rang him straight away, and he said he’d call someone to come and help me. I thought if I had a hot bath it would slow down the labour but it didn’t - I could feel the baby coming.

“I climbed out of the bath and crawled naked to the front door to unlock it so that the ambulance crew could get in. But Eric started hitting me with a Ninja Turtles sword, thinking I was playing a game - until Louis’s head appeared and then he completely freaked out.

“I was panicking inside but trying to keep Eric calm at the same time. Fortunately, two lovely girls called Jill and Erica - the wives of two of Richie’s team-mates - arrived at the same time as two French firemen.

“The men just stood there looking stunned while Jill calmly delivered the baby.

“A paramedic arrived shortly after Louis was delivered and I was taken to hospital wrapped in a fire blanket.

“My experience was painful, mortifying - and absolutely amazing.”

The couple had their third child, and first daughter, on 28 December 2021, called Elsie Kate, four months prior to Skelton announcing her and Myler’s split.

When did they split up?

Taking to Instagram stories on Tuesday (26 April), Skelton first posted a message about motherhood, which said: “A mama is always full of emotions, full of love, full of anxiety and worries, full of exhaustion and lack of energy, full of mum guilt and doubt, full of pride in her kids, full of pure joy.

“She feels it all, that’s the beauty of her, she carries it all too, and yet she gets up every day and does it all over again.”

Skelton then confirmed the news in the following post, which read: “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.”

Also included in the post were two broken heart emojis as well.