Blue Peter host Helen Skelton will be forced to shave her head when she returns from Antarctica as her hair has matted into a single giant dreadlock during her expedition.

Advertisement

The 28-year-old described her barnet turning into “one long rat’s tail” during her 500-mile dash across the frozen continent for Sport Relief.

In an interview published in this week’s Radio Times, Skelton admitted that conditions on the journey are less than sanitary.

Asked if she was able to wash, the daredevil presenter replied: “No, not at all. And they were very strict about keeping the weight to a minimum, so I was only allowed to bring a toothbrush head without the handle.

“I smell already, so by the end I’m going to stink,” she added.

Conditions including perpetual daylight are also making the trip hard going, though Skelton says: “The worst thing is the wind collapsing your tent at night and having to get up and dig it out of the snow.”

Advertisement

Read more about Helen's Antarctic adventure in this week’s issue of Radio Times.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement