Helen Skelton was on the verge of quitting Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend, after being left in tears before the first live show and fleeing rehearsals through a fire exit.
Former Blue Peter presenter Helen was the final celebrity to be confirmed for the new series of the smash hit BBC show, after much speculation that she'd be on the Strictly line-up this year and friend Carol Vorderman pretty much confirming her as a contestant by accident with a comment on social media, before an official announcement had been made.
Helen, 39, found herself at the centre of 'fix' accusations after it emerged she'd had tap dancing success as a youngster and starred in a past Strictly Christmas Special. However, as fans defended her, bookies certainly rated her chances of doing well in the ballroom, as she edged out Fleur East to be favourite to win going into Saturday's live debut.
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Helen certainly made a fine first impression alongside pro partner Gorka Marquez, with the judges full of praise for their American Smooth and earning a not too shabby 26 out of 40. However, as the pair joined Strictly host Claudia Winkleman to get their scores, Gorka hinted that Helen had been plagued with self doubt: "She just needs to believe in herself. I know her confidence at the moment is not great but I believe in her," as Helen quipped: "I kept trying to leave."
It now appears that Helen wasn't joking as, on Monday's Lorraine, presenter Lorraine Kelly shared news that Helen almost walked off the show, just hours before cameras starting rolling on Saturday. As a video of Helen and Gorka in action on Strictly played on screen, Lorraine commented: "She did so well, just beautiful; but she revealed on her Radio 5 Live show that she almost didn't make it to the dancefloor. Apparently she escaped through a fire door during a rehearsal,. had a wee cry, before being persuaded to return back by her professional partner Gorka."
Lorraine added: "I think she's going to be one to watch, I really do."
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