Helen Skelton insists she won’t cut her ex-husband Richie Myler completely out of her life despite being left totally shocked by the rugby player leaving her for another woman.
The television presenter, 40, announced her split from England and Leeds Rhinos rugby league star Richie, 33, in April last year.
And, while she was left devastated by the break-up she says she wants to keep the sportsman in her life to a certain extent for the sake of her children.
Helen, who shares sons Ernie, eight, Louis, six, and 22-month-old daughter Elsie with Richie, has opened up about her love life in her new autobiography In My Stride, in which she wrote according to The Sun: ‘I was in shock.
‘I know that following break-ups, people often say they didn’t see it coming and it sounds like a cliche, but that was me.’
Staying strong: Helen Skelton insists she won’t cut her ex-husband Richie Myler out of her life despite being left totally shocked by the rugby player leaving her for another woman
End of the road: The television presenter, 40, announced her split from England and Leeds Rhinos rugby league star Richie, 33, in April last year
Despite her hurt she will ensure Richie is a constant in her life so her children always have a father figure.
And she is refusing to delete pictures of herself and Richie taken during the happy times they shared together which she has posted on social media.
She insists: ‘I want them to know that we loved each other, but things change and that’s OK too.’
Helen was so distraught after her split from Richie that she was unable to tell her parents at first.
She claims she kept it a secret from them for some time as she did not want to ‘inflict’ pain on them.
But when her father noticed her spending a lot of time on her own with her children at her marital home, he surprised her with a visit from Cumbria.
Helen wrote: ‘He immediately stepped in, knowing I needed him, even though I didn’t want to admit it.’
Since his split from Helen, Richie has gone on to have a baby with new girlfriend Stephanie Thirkill, 32, the daughter of Leeds Rhinos president Andrew.
Family: Helen, who shares sons Ernie, eight, Louis, six, and 22-month-old daughter Elsie with Richie, wants the sportsman as a constant in her life so their children have a father figure
And Helen put the home she once shared with Richie on the market this summer before moving to Cumbria.
Former Strictly Come Dancing star Helen and Richie married in 2013 and moved into their Yorkshire property together seven years later.
The ex couple poured cash into a various renovations on the property until they split last year.
Months later, Helen appeared on Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House and said she’d ‘sold a load of stuff’ as she cleared her life out.
Meanwhile, it was recently reported Helen is dating again, one year after her ‘trust was broken’ by Richie.
She is now ‘reluctantly dipping her toe back into the dating pool’, with a source telling OK! magazine: ‘After her trust was broken, she’s nowhere near ready for an all-in long-term romance.
‘But she’s not closing herself off to anything anymore.
‘She’s open to new adventures in all respects and is making it her aim to say ‘yes’ to more things that excite her.’
Moved on: Since his split from Helen, Richie has gone on to have a baby with new girlfriend Stephanie Thirkill, 32, the daughter of Leeds Rhinos president Andrew
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