Morning Live presenter Helen Skelton has revealed the “best lesson” she took from appearing on Strictly Come Dancing months after splitting from her ex-husband.The former Blue Peter star appeared in the 2022 series and while she was pipped to the post in the final, with wildlife presenter Hamza Yassin taking home the Glitterball trophy, Skelton became a much-loved fan favourite as the competition progressed. Skelton had signed up for Strictly in the wake of a sudden split from her husband of almost nine years, and the father of her three children, former rugby player Richie Myler. Reflecting on her decision to throw herself into the dance world after the break-up, Skelton said in a new interview with The Times: “You want to do something loud enough and cool enough that people talk to you about that and not about the heartbreak. “There was a lot going on for my whole family, but what people were asking about was what a jolly old time I was having on Strictly. “My kids would have a Strictly party every weekend with their cousins. It was an amazing distraction for them.”Skelton with her Strictly partner Gorka Marquez (BBC)And for Skelton, donning sequins and a spray tan to shimmy across our screens every Saturday revealed a very valuable lesson. “One of the best lessons I took from Strictly is, no one is interested in your drama,” she said. “It’s a weird one because these days it’s all about mental health, everyone’s told to share everything. Maybe I’m old-fashioned; I prefer just to show up and get it done.”Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 dayNew subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.Try for freeADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 dayNew subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.Try for freeADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.One of the 42-year-old’s most memorable Strictly moments came in Musicals Week, as she and partner Gorka Marquez delivered one of the standout moments of the show’s history: a dramatic and defiant performance to “Mein Herr” from Cabaret. While Skelton had largely stayed away from mentioning her marriage split on the programme, the star did allude to the break-up before the routine. Speaking in a VT that aired as she prepared to take to the dancefloor, Skelton credited Strictly with helping her “remember who I am and remember what I’m about” after her challenging year.“Strictly has given me so many things already,” she said. “I’ve got lots to be thankful for and I know what I can offer, and the great thing for me is this dance is all about that.”Earlier in the series, Skelton had been left visibly unhappy when her professional partner Marquez alluded to the split as cameras were rolling. “I know you’ve been having a difficult time and I know you may feel like you’re not beautiful or good enough or anything. But if you don’t believe in yourself, I believe in you,” he said. “Everybody here believes in you.”Skelton later admitted: “What I love about Gorka is that he has my very best interests at heart, and we are genuinely very good friends. But sometimes, maybe, we need to talk about what he’s allowed to say publicly.”