Helen Skelton
Encyclopedia
Helen Skelton is an English television presenter. She has worked on the BBC children's programme Blue Peter
since 2008. In 2010 she kayak
ed over 2,000 miles along the River Amazon for Sport Relief
, making her nominally (subject to verification) a world record
holder.
on 19 July 1983.
Skelton was brought up on a farm in the village of Kirkby Thore
in Cumbria. She attended Kirkby Thore Primary School, and then Appleby Grammar School. She graduated from Cumbria Institute of the Arts
, where she gained a BA degree in journalism. During her time at college, she worked as an extra
on Coronation Street
and Cutting It
.
Her brother, Gavin
, is a professional footballer currently playing for Barrow
.. When she joined Blue Peter, she was dating his former Gretna
team-mate David Graham
; the couple broke up in October 2009.
Skelton is a qualified tap dance
teacher and has said that if she was not a broadcaster she would be a teacher as "I like the sound of my own voice."
, Skelton decided to concentrate on journalism. She worked in the newsroom at CFM Radio
, and was involved with various programmes at Border Television
, before becoming a breakfast presenter on BBC Radio Cumbria
in 2005, becoming one of the youngest breakfast show presenters on the BBC network. She was then a reporter and occasional presenter on children's news
programme Newsround
and its weekend sports based version, Sportsround
.
, becoming the 33rd presenter for the programme.
In a challenge for the show, she took an uncredited role in the BBC
production of Merlin
.
, after all the other Blue Peter presenters had given up through exhaustion, or through blisters to the feet. In April 2009, Skelton became only the second woman ever to finish the 78 miles (125.5 km) Namibian Ultra Marathon
. Skelton completed the run in 23 hours and 45 minutes - just 15 minutes under the time limit of one day. "It was a gruelling experience, but one I'll never forget. There were tough times but also amazing times," she told Newsround. Just weeks later, she completed the 2009 London Marathon
.
. She kayaked 2010 miles (3,234.8 km) on a solo journey from Nauta
in Peru on 20 January, to Almeirim
, Brazil on 28 February, achieving two world record
s (awaiting verification) from Guinness World Records
: the longest solo journey by kayak, and the longest distance in a kayak in 24 hours by a woman.
Conservative MP for the Ribble Valley Nigel Evans
tabled an Early Day Motion
in the House of Commons after her Amazon challenge:
between chimneys at Battersea Power Station
, 66 metres above ground, to raise money for Comic Relief
on 28 February 2011. Blue Peter created two specials about her walk.
This walk is the highest in the UK by a woman.
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
since 2008. In 2010 she kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ed over 2,000 miles along the River Amazon for Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
, making her nominally (subject to verification) a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
holder.
Personal life
Skelton was born at the City Maternity Hospital, Fusehill Street, Appleby, CumbriaCumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
on 19 July 1983.
Skelton was brought up on a farm in the village of Kirkby Thore
Kirkby Thore
Kirkby Thore is a small village, civil parish and hill in Cumbria, England at .It is close to the Lake District national park and the Cumbrian Pennines...
in Cumbria. She attended Kirkby Thore Primary School, and then Appleby Grammar School. She graduated from Cumbria Institute of the Arts
Cumbria Institute of the Arts
The Cumbria Institute of the Arts was a further and higher education institution in Carlisle, Cumbria, England.-History:Founded as the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in 1822, it proceeded as the Carlisle College of Art, from 1950, and switched to Cumbria Institute of the Arts from...
, where she gained a BA degree in journalism. During her time at college, she worked as an extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
on Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and Cutting It
Cutting It
Cutting It was a popular BBC television programme set in Manchester, England, which ran for four series between 2002 and 2005.- Series 1 :...
.
Her brother, Gavin
Gavin Skelton
Gavin Richard Skelton is an English footballer who is currently playing in the Conference National with Barrow.-Career:...
, is a professional footballer currently playing for Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
.. When she joined Blue Peter, she was dating his former Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
team-mate David Graham
David Graham (footballer born 1983)
David Graham is a Scottish footballer, currently playing for Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Premier League.-Career:During his youth career, David's former teams include Denny BC, Riverside and Gairdoch United....
; the couple broke up in October 2009.
Skelton is a qualified tap dance
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
teacher and has said that if she was not a broadcaster she would be a teacher as "I like the sound of my own voice."
Early career
After briefly working in public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, Skelton decided to concentrate on journalism. She worked in the newsroom at CFM Radio
CFM Radio
CFM Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Northern & Central Cumbria and the southern tip of Scotland, with transmitters in Carlisle, Penrith and West Cumbria. Its musical output is popular hits of all genres, with mostly today's hits being featured...
, and was involved with various programmes at Border Television
Border Television
Border Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria...
, before becoming a breakfast presenter on BBC Radio Cumbria
BBC Radio Cumbria
BBC Radio Cumbria is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Cumbria and broadcasts from studios in Carlisle.- History :The county of Cumbria, from which the station takes its current name, was not created until 1974...
in 2005, becoming one of the youngest breakfast show presenters on the BBC network. She was then a reporter and occasional presenter on children's news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
programme Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
and its weekend sports based version, Sportsround
Sportsround
Sportsround was a weekly spin-off from CBBC children's news programme Newsround. The sports magazine show was broadcast Friday evenings at 6:30pm on CBBC Channel and on Saturday mornings on BBC Two at 7.25am....
.
Blue Peter
Skelton was revealed as a new Blue Peter presenter on 28 August 2008, replacing Zöe SalmonZöe Salmon
Zöe Salmon is a television presenter who hosted the children's television show Blue Peter from 23 December 2004 to 25 June 2008. She also appeared on Dancing on Ice in early 2009.-Life and career:...
, becoming the 33rd presenter for the programme.
In a challenge for the show, she took an uncredited role in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production of Merlin
Merlin (TV series)
Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from...
.
Ultra marathons
Skelton ran and completed the Marathon des SablesMarathon des Sables
The Marathon des Sables is a six-day, ultramarathon, which is the equivalent of six regular marathons. The longest single stage is long....
, after all the other Blue Peter presenters had given up through exhaustion, or through blisters to the feet. In April 2009, Skelton became only the second woman ever to finish the 78 miles (125.5 km) Namibian Ultra Marathon
Namibian ultra marathon
The Namibian 24h Ultra Marathon is a 24 hour ultramarathon that takes the participants through one of the oldest deserts on earth, the Namib Desert...
. Skelton completed the run in 23 hours and 45 minutes - just 15 minutes under the time limit of one day. "It was a gruelling experience, but one I'll never forget. There were tough times but also amazing times," she told Newsround. Just weeks later, she completed the 2009 London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
.
Kayaking the Amazon
In early 2010, Skelton kayaked the entire length of the River Amazon for Sport Relief 2010Sport Relief 2010
Sport Relief 2010, was a fund raising event organised by Sport Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 19 March 2010 to early the following morning...
. She kayaked 2010 miles (3,234.8 km) on a solo journey from Nauta
Nauta
Nauta is a bustling small town situated in the northeastern area of the Peruvian Amazon roughly 100 km south of the Province's capital, Iquitos...
in Peru on 20 January, to Almeirim
Almeirim, Pará
Almeirim is a city on the Amazon and the northernmost municipality in the Brazilian state of Pará. The municipality is crossed by the Equator....
, Brazil on 28 February, achieving two world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s (awaiting verification) from Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
: the longest solo journey by kayak, and the longest distance in a kayak in 24 hours by a woman.
Conservative MP for the Ribble Valley Nigel Evans
Nigel Evans
Nigel Martin Evans is a British politician. Since 1992 he has been Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley constituency. Since 2010 he has been First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, a deputy speaker.-Career:...
tabled an Early Day Motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
in the House of Commons after her Amazon challenge:
Tightrope walking
Skelton walked a 150 metre tightropeTightrope walking
Tightrope walking is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope, usually at a great height. One or more artists performs in front of an audience or as a publicity stunt...
between chimneys at Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea, South London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built first in the...
, 66 metres above ground, to raise money for Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
on 28 February 2011. Blue Peter created two specials about her walk.
This walk is the highest in the UK by a woman.
Radio
- 2001-2004 Main presenter on CFM RadioCFM RadioCFM Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Northern & Central Cumbria and the southern tip of Scotland, with transmitters in Carlisle, Penrith and West Cumbria. Its musical output is popular hits of all genres, with mostly today's hits being featured...
- 2005-2007 Main presenter on BBC Radio CumbriaBBC Radio CumbriaBBC Radio Cumbria is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Cumbria and broadcasts from studios in Carlisle.- History :The county of Cumbria, from which the station takes its current name, was not created until 1974...
- 2010- Reporter at the Wimbledon Championships on BBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
Television
- 1999 Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
as a temporary character - 1999 Cutting ItCutting ItCutting It was a popular BBC television programme set in Manchester, England, which ran for four series between 2002 and 2005.- Series 1 :...
as a temporary character - 2007 SportsroundSportsroundSportsround was a weekly spin-off from CBBC children's news programme Newsround. The sports magazine show was broadcast Friday evenings at 6:30pm on CBBC Channel and on Saturday mornings on BBC Two at 7.25am....
as a co-presenter with Jake HumphreyJake HumphreyJacob John "Jake" Humphrey is an English television presenter, currently best known for his work with BBC Sport, being the youngest ever presenter to host Football Focus, Match of the Day and Final Score. He currently presents the BBC's Formula One coverage and BBC Sports Personality of the Year... - 2007-08 NewsroundNewsroundNewsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
as a reporter and relief presenter then as main presenter - 2008- Blue PeterBlue PeterBlue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
as a co-presenter with Andy AkinwolereAndy AkinwolereAndy Akinwolere is a British television presenter.-Early life:Akinwolere was born in Nigeria in 1982, and moved to the United Kingdom with his family when he was eight years old. They settled in Birmingham, where he was educated.-Education:Akinwolere attended St...
, Joel DefriesJoel DefriesJoel Defries is a British-born presenter, who worked on the BBC1 children's programme Blue Peter from 2008-10. He previously worked on the New Zealand television station, C4.-Education:...
and Barney HarwoodBarney HarwoodBarney Harwood is an English television presenter and actor, known for his work with CBBC.-Television:For CBBC, he presented Prank Patrol and was a voice-over commentator for The Smokehouse, while on BBC Two, he co-presented Basil's Swap Shop , alongside Basil Brush.Previous work for CBBC included... - 2011- CountryfileCountryfileCountryfile is a British magazine-style television programme produced by BBC Birmingham, first aired on 24th July 1988, which reports on rural and environmental issues within the United Kingdom. For its first 20 years it was fronted by broadcaster John Craven, until he stepped back from the role of...
as a co-presenter, BBC One