Helen Skelton has reportedly become one of the most valuable figures in the fierce daytime television rivalry between the BBC and ITV — with insiders predicting it is “only a matter of time” before she receives a major offer to switch channels.
The 42-year-old presenter was considered a leading candidate to join This Morning following Holly Willoughby’s departure from the troubled ITV programme in 2023.
At the time, the broadcaster was attempting to rebuild its flagship daytime show after losing both Holly and Phillip Schofield within months.
Phillip had stepped down after admitting to an affair with a younger colleague, while Holly ended her 14-year association with the programme later that year.
Their departures left ITV executives searching for a new presenting partnership capable of restoring stability and rebuilding viewers’ trust.
Helen’s warm, family-friendly image reportedly made her an attractive option.
She was already well known through programmes including Blue Peter, Countryfile and Strictly Come Dancing, while her calm live-presenting experience suggested she could comfortably handle the demands of This Morning.
Those working on the ITV show reportedly viewed her as a reliable and reassuring choice following one of the most difficult periods in its history.
Former This Morning editor Martin Frizell was tasked with considering potential replacements before later leaving the programme himself.
According to the supplied report, Helen’s name was put forward internally as one of the strongest possibilities.
However, the BBC acted before ITV could secure her.
Morning Live executive editor Emma Morris, who had previously worked on This Morning, reportedly persuaded Helen to become a permanent presenter on the BBC’s competing daytime programme.
The decision left some ITV employees surprised, particularly because a leading role on This Morning would traditionally have been regarded as one of the most prestigious jobs in daytime television.
However, Helen chose to remain with the BBC and has continued building a broad portfolio of programmes across the corporation.
An industry source claimed that staff at ITV were “baffled” by her decision at the time.
Yet Helen’s loyalty appears to have been rewarded.
BBC executives have reportedly commissioned another series of her solo daytime programme Lost and Found in the Lakes after its previous episodes performed well in the afternoon schedule.
The programme, which launched in 2025, follows Helen as she helps reunite members of the public with treasured possessions lost across the Lake District.
Its format combines emotional personal stories with the dramatic landscape of Helen’s native Cumbria.
A well-placed source said Helen was highly regarded by executives, producers and on-screen colleagues throughout the BBC.
“Helen is really liked by BBC bosses across the organisation,” the insider claimed.
“The portfolio of shows she is a part of is very diverse, and she works with a variety of producers.”
The source added that colleagues rarely had a negative word to say about her and described Helen as entertaining and easy to work with.
Viewers were said to feel similarly affectionate towards the presenter.
“She has just been handed another series of her daytime show, which is a great vote of confidence in her,” the insider said.
Helen has reportedly made no secret among friends of her ambition to lead more programmes independently.
Although she enjoys co-presenting Morning Live and working as part of the Countryfile team, sources claim she is increasingly interested in projects that place her at the centre.
“Helen has long told her pals how she would like to start hosting more of her own programmes,” one source said.
“It’s not to say she doesn’t like co-presenting, but she knows her worth and is more than capable of being at the helm by herself.”
The insider said Helen had earned her position through more than two decades of broadcasting experience.
They described her as the BBC’s “weapon” against ITV — a presenter whose popularity and versatility make her valuable in the continuing battle for daytime audiences.
Morning Live has reportedly performed strongly against ITV’s output, making Helen’s presence particularly important to BBC executives.
ITV eventually appointed Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley as the principal presenters of This Morning.
However, Helen is said to retain admirers within the commercial broadcaster.
“ITV executives are still kicking themselves about it,” a source alleged.
“She is regularly mentioned, and it is only a matter of time before they try and offer her a place in the fold.”
No formal approach or offer has been confirmed, and Helen has given no indication that she intends to leave the BBC.
The claims reflect the opinions of unnamed television insiders rather than an announced negotiation.
For now, she is understood to be happy with both her position and workload at the corporation.
BBC bosses are reportedly equally determined to retain her by offering further opportunities across daytime, factual and entertainment programming.
Helen’s career began long before she became involved in the current battle for viewers.
She made one of her earliest television appearances as an extra in Coronation Street in 1999, although she was not given a named character or storyline.
Her major breakthrough arrived in 2008 when she became a Blue Peter presenter.
During five years on the children’s programme, Helen became known for undertaking extreme physical challenges.
Her achievements included kayaking along the Amazon River, completing a high-wire walk between the towers of Battersea Power Station and reaching the South Pole by bicycle, kite and ski.
She left Blue Peter in 2013 and moved into mainstream factual broadcasting.
The following year, Helen joined Countryfile, where she remains one of the programme’s regular presenters.
Her rural background and practical knowledge helped make her a natural fit for the Sunday-evening show.
Helen was raised on a dairy farm in Cumbria and has maintained a close connection to the countryside throughout her career.
She later reached a new audience through Strictly Come Dancing in 2022.
Appearing shortly after the collapse of her marriage, Helen’s performances were widely interpreted as part of a personal rebuilding process.
She reached the final alongside professional partner Gorka Márquez and received praise for growing in confidence throughout the competition.
Behind that professional success was a painful period in her private life.
Helen and rugby player Richie Myler announced their separation in 2022 after nine years of marriage.
Their daughter Elsie was only four months old at the time.
The former couple also share two sons, Ernie and Louis.
Their divorce was finalised two years later.
Richie subsequently began a relationship with Stephanie Thirkill, with whom he now has two children.
Following the separation, Helen moved back to Cumbria with her children and settled on her parents’ dairy farm.
The arrangement allowed her to be close to family support while raising three young children and continuing her television career.
She has described her lifestyle there as quiet and traditional compared with the glamour normally associated with showbusiness.
Speaking about a visit from a London-based friend, Helen previously joked: “She said I live in 1985. I’m all right with that.”
Her move home has strengthened the down-to-earth image that reportedly makes her attractive to television executives.
Helen can present live studio programmes, front rural factual series and connect with families without appearing overly polished or distant.
Her friendship with Morning Live colleague Gethin Jones has also attracted intense attention.
Reports previously claimed that Gethin supported Helen during the difficult period following her marriage breakdown.
The pair became close and were later linked romantically after being seen together at a luxury spa near Gethin’s Cheshire home.
At the time, neither presenter immediately addressed the speculation, allowing rumours to spread around the BBC’s Manchester offices and across the media.
Helen eventually denied that they were in a relationship, describing Gethin simply as a “work friend”.
There is no confirmed evidence that their friendship became romantic.
The speculation nevertheless demonstrated the level of interest surrounding Helen as her public profile continued growing.
Her personal journey, combined with the warmth she displays on screen, has helped establish a powerful connection with viewers.
Unlike some presenters closely associated with one format, Helen has successfully moved between children’s television, live daytime broadcasting, rural documentaries, entertainment competitions and emotional factual programmes.
That versatility may explain why both major broadcasters reportedly see her as such a valuable figure.
ITV would gain an experienced and trusted presenter capable of strengthening its daytime line-up.
The BBC, meanwhile, would lose a familiar face from Morning Live and Countryfile, as well as a host who has already demonstrated that she can carry a solo series.
The language of television “weapons” and rival camps may sound dramatic, but the competition between broadcasters is commercially significant.
Popular presenters can bring loyal audiences with them and shape the tone of an entire programme.
After the crisis that engulfed This Morning in 2023, a figure with Helen’s reputation for stability would have been especially appealing.
Yet Helen’s decision to remain at the BBC may ultimately have given her something more valuable than one high-profile sofa: a varied career across several programmes and the opportunity to develop her own formats.
Her next move is therefore unlikely to be determined solely by money or the status of an individual programme.
Sources suggest she wants greater ownership of her work and more chances to present alone.
The broadcaster able to offer that combination may have the strongest chance of securing her long-term future.
For now, the BBC appears to be doing exactly that through another series of Lost and Found in the Lakes and her continuing roles elsewhere.
ITV’s interest remains unconfirmed, but insiders believe it will not disappear.
Helen has reportedly made clear that she understands her professional value after more than 20 years in television.
She has survived personal upheaval, rebuilt her life in Cumbria and emerged with a stronger connection to viewers than ever.
The BBC may currently have its “secret weapon” safely inside the corporation.
But with ITV executives allegedly still discussing the presenter they failed to secure, Helen Skelton could soon find herself at the centre of one of British television’s most closely watched battles for talent.
