Olympic Games gather millions of watchers from around the world, and they can be career-makers, or they could lead to the end of your career. As for Helen Skelton, her Olympics coverage in 2016 was a one-time stint and she believes her wardrobe may have been the reason why.
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Helen Skelton's mini dresses stole the show
Helen Skelton presented the Olympics in 2016 for the BBC, and millions of people saw her mini dresses steal the show. One of her dresses even got lifted up by the wind on live television. Helen Skelton told the Daily Mail:
Flashing at the nation when my skirt blew up while I was presenting a parade at the London Olympics. I was at the end of a three-week trip, so I had the most unattractive knickers you could ever imagine.
The public did not miss any second of her embarrassment, but the presenter did not realize what had happened until she checked her phone, a few hours later. She explained:
A big cheer erupted but I didn’t realise what had happened. I just thought: ‘I’m really popular!’. I only realised afterwards when I saw 50 messages on my phone.
Helen Skelton's wardrobe malfunction quickly went viral, and she faced a lot of criticism following the incident. Nonetheless, Skelton went on to present another major sporting event in 2017, the Budapest World Swimming Championships, before getting axed for the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
The broadcaster explained they were making room for new talent, but the presenter has since hinted that the dresses could be to blame. She said:
I just find it so hilarious that after all this time, everyone's still talking about it. Now the story's evolved into something else. If I don't get a gig on sport it's because of the shorts. I did Rio and then I did the Budapest World Swimming Championships in 2017 and I haven't done anything else since. So…
She now lives on her parents' farm
Since being dropped by the BBC, Helen Skelton has chosen to retire from being a sports presenter altogether, explaining she could not find a suitable work-life balance for her and her family. In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, she explained:
Anyone with small kids knows that there’s certain times in your life when jobs work, and certain times when they don’t. I’ve got three very busy kids who do three very different activities and most of them happen on a Sunday morning. It was just the wrong time.
Her job was not the only change in Helen Skelton's life. Indeed, following her divorce from rugby league player Richie Myler, she chose to move back to her parents' dairy farm in Cumbria with her three young children. Having enjoyed a break from live television and radio shows, Helen Skelton still wants to appear on TV, and she has joined the cast of the Morning Live.
Her work-life balance is getting better, as she can count on her parents to look after her kids when she has to go to work. She has also made new friends in the countryside, and their children can all hang out together. She concluded:
I like that kind of household. It’s funny: my friend came up to visit me from London and said I live in 1985. I’m alright with that.
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Sources used:
Good Housekeeping: Helen Skelton on leaving her job and moving to her parents' farm
The Sunday Times: Helen Skelton: Why I left a top job and moved to my parents’ farm
Express: Helen Skelton's racy Olympics dresses which 'ended BBC Sports hosting career'
