Helen Skelton has quickly shifted to a more family-friendly career after leaving from her BBC Radio 5 Live presenting position to prioritize time with her three children.

She is now a permanent host on BBC One’s Morning Live, where she will compete directly with This Morning in a longer time slot.

The overlap with This Morning, which now starts 45 minutes later at 10:45 a.m., is a substantial change from its prior 10:00 a.m. ending, heightening the rivalry.

This move comes as This Morning undergoes a January makeover with new hosts in the aftermath of Holly Willoughby’s sudden resignation in October.

Skelton, 40, a mother of three with ex-husband Richie Myler (Ernie, eight; Louis, six; and Elsie, 20 months), joins Michelle Ackerley and Gethin Jones as one of the primary hosts of the relaunched mid-morning magazine show.

Skelton will present Morning Live from Monday to Wednesday each week beginning in January, as part of its expanded 75-minute program (up from 45 minutes).

The show will now air from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. every weekday, eclipsing its ITV counterpart, Lorraine, which airs from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Morning Live has routinely beaten its opponent in the ratings, thanks to regular guest presenters such as Sara Cox, Kimberley Walsh, Gaby Roslin, and Rav Wilding.

Skelton left her Sunday morning radio show in August, citing the difficulty of ‘juggling’ it with her responsibilities as a single parent.