Former BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker has been exploring the UK’s countryside with fellow TV presenter Helen Skelton for their Channel 5 show Yorkshire Great and Small
Helen Skelton and Dan Walker embarked on a televised trek across Yorkshire’s stunning landscapes in Channel 5’s ‘Yorkshire Great and Small’ last night. The dynamic duo laced up their hiking boots as they kicked off their journey at the scenic Malham Cove, a spectacular limestone cliff formation dating back to the last Ice Age, followed by a visit to the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct.
Amidst wandering through breathtaking settings, Dan let slip his wife Sarah Walker’s amusing directive regarding his conduct during filming. He shared with Helen: “My wife told me I am not allowed to do a Yorkshire accent on this series.” With Helen bursting into laughter, Dan went on: “That’s the one thing she said, ‘you must not do a Yorkshire accent.”
With a cheeky grin, he set the ground rules for Helen: “If you hear me slip into it you’ve just… you’ve got to stop me.” Helen resonated with the sentiment, commenting: “I can picture Sarah’s face saying that to you as well.” Dan concurred: “Yeah, quite formidable.”
The two presenters then divulged the essence of their on-screen magic and their walking adventures off-camera. Dan revealed that both he and Helen, renowned for her stints on Countryfile and Blue Peter, share quite “similar” personalities, hinting at the secret behind their affable rapport.
In a candid chat with TV Times, Dan revealed: “We’re similar and we care about each other. But we laugh at each other, too, and, on our walks, we ask silly questions and list things like our top 10 Helens, from Helen Hunt to Helen of Troy. Helen Skelton was No 7!”
Meanwhile, Helen quipped: “I didn’t even make the top five! We’ve been fitting this around our other commitments like Dan’s Classic FM show and my time on (BBC1’s) Morning Live, so we’ve had little sleep, but we’ve never had a bad word. Dan is the clever one and knows all the historical references and sings a lot, but we both bring morale, jokes and banter.”
Love is in the air, as Dan has been happily married to his university sweetheart Sarah since 2001 after meeting her at Sheffield University. The duo’s love blossomed into a family of five, including their three children – two daughters and a cherished son.