Helen Skelton 'felt sorry' for West End audiences when she sang on stage

1 December 2022

Helen Skelton felt "sorry" for West End audiences when she was made to sing on stage.

Helen Skelton felt 'sorry' for West End audiences when she was made to sing on stage

The ‘Countryfile’ presenter - who is currently gearing up for Musicals Week on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ this Friday (02.12.22) - loved performing in ‘Stomp' and ‘We Will Rock You’ for a Comic Relief challenge in 2013, but admitted it was “mortifying” having to sing on stage.

The 39-year-old star told The Sun newspaper's TV Biz column: “I was once made to sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in ‘We Will Rock You’. It was the most mortifying moment of my entire life.

"When it went out on TV I was so physically embarrassed I crawled under the desk into a ball.

“I loved appearing on the West End stage, although I do feel a bit sorry for the audiences.”

However, Helen - who is planning on embodying ‘Cabaret’ leading lady Sally Bowles to her Couple’s Choice dance to ‘Mein Herr’ with her professional partner Gorka Marquez, 32, on the BBC One Latin and ballroom competition this Friday - would return to tread the boards, and named her dream role as a “sassy” version of Belle in ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

She said: “It would be sassy, ballsy Belle from 'Beauty And The Beast'.

“She takes on the Beast for crying out loud, and you get to dance with a teacup.”

The BBC Radio 5 Live host admitted she “underestimated” the positive impact competing on the show would have on her life following her split from her ex Richie Myler, 32 - with who she has sons Ernie, seven, Louis, five, and 11-month-old baby daughter Elsie - and described the experience as an unexpected “rollercoaster of emotions”.

She said: "I came into this and I underestimated it because I thought 'it's dancing and nice dresses and interesting people.' But it's weird, it's so much more than that. It makes you ask questions of yourself you don't want to ask.

"I'm a 39-year-old woman with three kids. You do your job and your relationships and your house and career and all of that and you don't really just challenge yourself and find joy in yourself. So it's been a rollercoaster of emotions I didn't expect."