Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan has opened up about the emotional challenges she faces while co-parenting her three children following her split from footballer Scott Sinclair.
The 35-year-old actress, from Greater Manchester, shares daughters Matilda and Delilah, and son Charlie, with Scott Sinclair, her ex-fiancé.
The couple was together for over a decade before quietly ending their relationship in 2022. Although neither party publicly confirmed the breakup at the time, reports suggested they had gone their separate ways shortly after Helen returned from filming I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! in South Africa.
In a tearful and heartfelt story shared to her Instagram story, Flanagan didn’t shy away from revealing how tough co-parenting has been for her emotionally.
‘I like, really struggle when they go away… I actually really struggle when they go away, because it’s like… I don’t like them going away. I only like them going away if I’m doing something. It’s just really hard.’
She elaborated on the emotional push and pull that comes with co-parenting. ‘It’s so hard because it’s like a double-edged sword. It’s like, when they go, I want them straight back, and then when I’m with them all the time, I get really overwhelmed.’
Helen rose to fame as Rosie Webster on ITV’s Coronation Street, a role she began at just nine years old in 2000. Known for portraying the dramatic and glamorous daughter of Sally and Kevin Webster, she became one of the show’s most recognisable young stars.
She left the soap in 2012 to focus on other projects but later reprised the role in 2017 for a short stint, before stepping away again in 2018.
Since her time on the cobbles, she has appeared in various reality shows, including I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Celebrity Super Spa, and has been vocal about her experiences as a mother and her ongoing journey with mental health.
In the same Instagram video, the actress also shared how she’s been dealing with anxiety and the difficulty of being alone. ‘I need to stop crying now. Actually, you know what, though, I think it’s good to cry, just get it out. But I think I’ve just had bad anxiety recently.
‘So I think if I go and do some exercise and just spend some time with my friends and get some sleep and just look after myself a little bit, just stuff that I can’t usually do.’
She added, ‘It’ll be fine. I think I’ve just been like, filled up with anxiety and stuff, and I probably just need this time to actually just take it for me, and then I’m probably a bit clearer headed when they get back.’
Admitting that being comfortable in her own company is something she finds particularly hard, she explained: ‘I actually struggle being on my own. But it’s not just being on my own in a relationship, it’s like, I struggle being on my own, just in general, it always has to be with one of my friends.
‘I’ve always been like that, I’ve always got my friends with me… I’m really bad at spending time on my own.
‘I honestly can’t think of anything worse. I really, actually don’t know how to do it. Like, I’m always with my friends.
‘I’m really bad at being on my own and I think it’ll be something I can work on, but I really don’t like my own company anyway. That is quite enough of my breakdown.’
The next day, she followed up with another video thanking her followers for the support and encouragement she received after her emotional post.
‘Thank you so much for your lovely messages. Honestly, it made me feel so much better and it made me feel like I wasn’t on my own.
‘But, yeah, don’t usually like to cry, but I like to just actually share my real life on here and actually be myself.’
Helen has previously been very open about her struggles with mental health. She has spoken about her experience with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a condition that caused her to suffer from ‘severe depression’ at times.
Despite the challenges, Helen seems to remain focused on raising her three children and finding strength in being honest about the ups and downs of motherhood and life after a long-term relationship.
