‘I don’t care what they say, this is my life’

Outdoorsy presenter Helen Skelton tells Gabrielle Fagan how family tragedy shifted her outlook and why her love of fitness has nothing to do with abs.

Helen Skelton, who became a household name as the charismatic Blue Peter presenter with a penchant for adventure, is now a familiar face on Countryfile – but she still often hits the headlines for her wardrobe and its apparent “malfunctions”. There was the time her dress was caught in a gust of wind while she was reporting at the London 2012 Olympics, while the length of her skirts during her stint covering the swimming at Rio 2016 whipped up a storm of comment. Thankfully, Skelton – who has two sons, aged three and one, with her husband, rugby player Richie Myler, 28 – has developed a good sense of perspective. Here, the down-to-earth 35-year-old talks about what makes her tick...

How do you cope with criticism of your personal appearance?

“Losing two cousins who were really close to me altered my perspective on life massively. They didn’t even get to the age I am, and nowadays I’m just grateful for every extra year I chalk up on earth, and enjoy life as much as possible. It means I definitely don’t ‘sweat the small stuff’. My elder cousin was in her 30s and had breast cancer, and my other cousin died in a tragic accident in her mid-20s. We’re a close-knit family and it was traumatic for everyone.

“I know being an open, honest, outspoken person gets me into trouble all the time, but I don’t know how to be any other way. Sure, sometimes I think, ‘Why did I say that?’, but at the end of the day, it’s all a game really. People getting wound up about me wearing a pair of shorts is just plain silly.

“Frankly, you’re heading down a dangerous path if you take seriously what people say about you, and I don’t read most of it.” You were described as “too aggressive” in your Sport Relief boxing match against Love Island’s Camilla Thurlow. Was that fair? “Come on, you’re signing up to boxing not ballet, and basically to hit someone in the face! If I hadn’t and given it everything, it would have been disrespectful to the sport and all the effort my trainer put into me. I got a black eye, my husband found it difficult to watch and cried, but he was proud of me and I did my best.”

What’s your fitness regime?

“I’ve been active and dedicated to health and fitness since I was 15, but I don’t do it because it’s good for my backside, my abs or to look good. I do it because I enjoy it and get a total buzz out of it. I’m 5ft 2 and never weigh myself and never follow a diet, and off-screen I hardly wear make-up.

“I’ve been lucky to experience so many challenges: The 78-mile Namibian Ultra Marathon, kayaked the Amazon, cycled to the South Pole, run in the London Marathon.

“Our garage is full of sports equipment – skis, mountain bikes, road bikes, boxing gloves, skipping ropes, kayaks, kites.”

What’s the secret of your happy relationship?

“We only married in 2013 – so ask me the secret in 10 years time! Marriages and relationships are not all plain sailing but we approach it like team work. Rich is the best dad. He’s the ‘sugar police’ when it comes to their diet and insists on routine, whereas sometimes I’m anything for a quiet life.

“Our house is chaos usually, as Ernie (three) and Louis (one) are so close in age and are the definition of wild at times. For the time being, we’re not having any more, but I wouldn’t say no one day.”

How do you look after your wellbeing?

“I don’t take mental health lightly. Being aware of what makes you happy is a really good thing. I’m much better and happier when I’m outside near green spaces. Countryfile’s the ideal job for me, even though some moments have challenged my calm – like getting splatted in the face by a cow pat, and being trapped in a rubber dry suit when I was seven months pregnant and having a group of total strangers try to wrestle me out of it.”