NEWS
After reports emerge of the Strictly star’s blossoming friendship with dancer Vito Coppola, an insider says her friends fear she’ll be ‘hurt’ if she rushes into a romance
Her heartbreak played out before the eyes of the nation when she joined Strictly Come Dancing last year after a bitter marriage breakdown – and Helen Skelton couldn’t hold back her emotions when, ahead of the final, she tearfully told dance partner Gorka Marquez that he’d helped her to rediscover who she was.
And last week, it was revealed that behind-the-scenes, Helen – who announced her split from her husband of eight years, rugby player Richie Myler, last April – has been growing close to another professional dancer, Vito Coppola.
A source revealed how Helen, 39, and Vito, 30 – who was partnered with singer Fleur East – became close during the show’s live tour, which ended last month, adding, “They spent a lot of time chatting on the bus and getting to know each other.
Between shows they also spent time together one-on-one, like going for coffee, just the two of them.”
CONNECTION
Now an insider tells Closer that while Helen is enjoying her growing connection with Vito and is feeling “loved-up” at the moment, her pals witnessed the heartbreak she experienced at the end of her marriage, and have warned her to take any new relationship slowly.
A source says, “Helen and Vito have always been close since she started training for Strictly last year, but now it looks like it’s developing into a romance. Her friends are so glad to see her happy, but they’re worried that she may end up hurt again, even though Vito is a great guy.
“She’s juggling so much at the moment with the tour and taking care of her three young children. They just hope it’s not all too much and have urged her to take it slow. But everyone’s agreed that she deserves to be happy and have her own revenge romance.”
Fans were shocked when Helen announced her sudden separation from Richie, 32, last year, writing on Instagram, “Very sad to say 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.” The former couple share sons Ernie, seven, Louis, five, and one-year-old Elsie – who was just four months old at the time of their split.
DEVASTATED
Light was shed on the cryptic post just weeks later when it was revealed that Richie had embarked on a new relationship with Stephanie Thirkill, 32 – daughter of the owner of Leeds Rhinos rugby club – who announced she was pregnant with Richie’s child in October.
Richie has remained sil
