Helen Skelton has once again shut down speculation that she is dating her Morning Live co-host Gethin Jones, insisting the pair are “just best friends”.
The 42-year-old presenter has repeatedly found herself at the centre of romance speculation with Jones after the pair were photographed together outside the BBC studio last year.
The rumours intensified after the pair appeared side by side on the red carpet at ITV’s Pride of Britain Awards in October and later at a Royal Television Society event in Manchester.
Addressing the rumours in a new interview with The Times, Skelton was unequivocal when asked if there was any truth to the reports.
“We're not,” the TV star said. “We work together; he's one of my best friends.”
The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant admitted the rumours have become so widespread that even people close to her have been fooled.
“I've had my best friend congratulate me on our engagement,” she revealed.
It's not the first time Skelton has dismissed claims of a romance.
Earlier this year, she told the Mirror: “[Gethin and I] just work together, we are not together. No, no, no. We are just work friends.
“They printed pictures of us at work and [claimed] that we're together, [but we were] at work together.”
Jones has also addressed the speculation, previously telling The Sun: “We are very supportive of each other, we like to look out for each other. I think that's fair to say on and off camera.
“You sometimes could get... you might need a little pep talk every now and then. Because she's very passionate.”
Skelton was married to former rugby league player Richie Myler for nine years before announcing their split in 2022. The couple share three children.
She later described the end of the relationship as a “shock” in her memoir, writing: “I know that following break-ups, people often say they didn't see it coming and it sounds like a cliché, but that was me.”
Months after the separation, Skelton joined Strictly Come Dancing, saying the show had brought some much-needed “joy” and “fun” back into her life.
