Strictly's Helen Skelton and ex Richie's reason behind daughter's name amid family tragedy

express.co.uk:

Helen Skelton welcomed her third child, daughter Elsie Kate, a year ago with estranged husband Richie Myler.The Strictly Come Dancing contestant revealed she named her baby girl after one of Helen's family members who sadly died.The Winter on the Farm presenter has previously opened up about the family tragedy after losing two of her cousins - one to breast cancer and the other died after an accident.Helen, who is currently paired with Gorka Marquez on Strictly, is a devoted mum of three, who she shares with her former husband.The 39-year-old separated from rugby player Richie earlier this year, shortly after welcoming their third child together in December 2021.They are parents to Ernie, seven, Louis, five, and baby Elsie Kate, one.Speaking about the heartwarming reason behind her youngest's middle name, she told HELLO!

magazine: "We were always going to have Kate as a middle name after my cousin, who sadly passed away when we were in our 20s."I was really close to her; she was a scientist and crazy cool."Addressing the family loss earlier this year, the Strictly star said: "My family are that sort of Cumbrian stoic, stiff upper lip, and if I sat here and talked about it they wouldn’t like it.""But it’s a fact, I lost a cousin to breast cancer and I lost a cousin in an accident, and I’m a family person.

I had that kind of childhood where I spent summer holidays with all my cousins. And it’s sh*t, there’s no two ways about it," she added to The Telegraph.The TV star previously went into detail about her family tragedy and admitted it altered her perspective on life.Back in 2018, Helen shared: "Losing two cousins who were really close to me altered my perspective on life massively.