Meet Helen Skelton: Strictly Come Dancing 2022 contestant

It comes after she performed the Couple's Choice to Mein Herr from Cabaret along with Gorka Marquez, after which fans praised her for the "powerful" dance.

During the semi-final, Helen had a slightly tougher week as she found herself in fourth place on the scoreboard, with a combined score of 72 points - just two points away from Will Mellor, who became the 11th contestant to leave Strictly last week.

Helen still has this weekend to prove herself to the panel, made up of Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and head judge Shirley Ballas.

The Strictly Come Dancing 2022 songs and dances were announced earlier this week, and Helen will be performing three dances.

First, she'll take to the ballroom to perform her Jive to Tightrope by Janelle Monáe as picked by the judges. For her favourite dance from the series, Helen has opted for her powerful Couple's Choice to Mein Herr by Liza Minnelli from Cabaret. Finally, she'll end her trio of performances with a Showdance to Shine by Emeli Sande.

While she'll of course be hoping to lift the Glitterball this Saturday, Helen walks away from the BBC One show feeling more "confident".

Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, the presenter revealed "freeing" Strictly helped her find confidence.

"I've definitely found my confidence on that dance floor and I enjoy it, and that's what it was about. I think every week, we get so many messages from people who share things about their life and that's the ultimate humbling thing," she said.

Could Helen be this year's Strictly Come Dancing winner?

We'll have to wait for Saturday night's results, but in the mean time, here's all you need to know about Helen's career and her time on and off the dance floor.

Who is Helen Skelton?

Age: 39

Job: Presenter

Instagram: @helenskelton

Twitter: @HelenSkelton

After taking on supporting roles in Coronation Street and Cutting It, Skelton became a reporter on Newsround in 2007, before becoming co-presenter on Blue Peter from 2008 to 2013. She also started presenting Countryfile in 2008, which she still does to this day.

Skelton has since presented numerous sporting events for the BBC, including the 2016 Olympic Games, has taken part in major Sport Relief challenges in which she has secured world records, and was a contestant on the 2020 season of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. She also has previous experience with Strictly Come Dancing, having taken part in the show's 2012 Christmas Special.

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Helen's Strictly journey

Scoreboard

Week One: American Smooth (6+7+6+7) = 26

Week Two: Cha Cha Cha (5+7+7+8) = 27

Week Three: Viennese Waltz (7+8+8+8) = 31

Week Four: Paso Doble(6+8+7+8) = 29

Week Five: Charleston (8+9+9+9) = 35

Week Six: Foxtrot (7+8+8+9) = 32

Week Seven: Jive (9 +9+9+10) = 37

Week Eight: Salsa (8+8+8+8) = 32

Week Nine: Quickstep (9+10+10+10) = 39

Week 10: Samba (5+8+8+8) = 29

Week 11: Couple's Choice: (9+10+10+10) = 39

Week 12: Waltz (8+9+9+9) + Argentine Tango (9+10+8+10) = 35+37 = 72

Helen Skelton kicked off the competition with an American Smooth to Aretha Franklin's You Send Me, then performed an energetic Cha Cha Cha to Rain on Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.

She stepped things up in Week 3, with the former Blue Peter star receiving a score of 31 for her Viennese Waltz to Hopelessly Devoted To You from Grease, but scored slightly lower for her Paso Doble.

Her partner Gorka Marquez paid tribute to her afterwards, telling her: "If you don't believe in yourself, I believe in you. Everybody here believes in you."

Week 5 saw Skelton top the leaderboard for the first time, tying with Hamza Yassin. The judges branded her Blue Peter-themed Charleston (a nod to her stint on the classic CBBC show) as "an absolute delight" and her best dance yet.

In Week 6 – the show's famous Halloween Week - Helen's Foxtrot to Lil' Red Riding Hood scored her her second highest mark of the competition with 32. After she performed, Helen said she loved getting into character for the routine and was "very happy" with what the judges had to say.

The following weekend, Helen scored her best mark yet - a whopping 37 for her energetic Jive to Janelle Monae's Tightrope.

She climbed the leaderboard once more, coming in in joint second position with Kym Marsh, and even landed her first 10 from Anton Du Beke.

While Week 8 saw Helen and Gorka Salsa to Despacito - an energetic performance, complete with lifts, that scored them 32.

Week 9 – Blackpool week – marked a major turning point for Helen. Not only did she and Gorka's Quickstep earn a near-perfect 39, but, for the first time, the judges said they truly felt Helen loved every second of the routine and embraced the Strictly spirit fully.

However, the competition is fierce this year, and Helen dropped 10 points in Week 10 to come in second bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 29. But never fear, she escaped the dance off after performing her Samba to Emma Bunton's Eso Beso.

In Week 11, Helen and Gorka wowed the judges and the audience with their Couple's Choice to Mein Herr from Cabaret, scoring 39 and coming top of the leaderboard.

However, the semi-final saw her drop to fourth place, bagging 72 points.

What has Helen Skelton said about joining Strictly 2022?

Speaking about joining the show, Skelton said: “I’m really excited to get stuck into a fun adventure."

She continued: "My family and friends have always loved the show and can’t wait for me to get started.”

The Strictly Come Dancing final is on Saturday 17th December at 7:o5pm on BBC One.

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