Coronation Street’s Helen Flanagan defends co-sleeping with her daughter, 2, and explains why putting her to bed at 11pm works for her family
The soap star also reveals why she 'probably' wouldn't pose topless again
HELEN Flanagan arrives at our shoot already looking every inch the blonde bombshell.
Having spent the morning filming on the Corrie set, her newly peroxided hair has been blow-dried, those unfathomably high cheekbones are expertly highlighted and her teeny frame spray-tanned to perfection.
You’d never guess from looking at the actress, who recently reprised her role as scatterbrain Rosie Webster on the soap after a five-year hiatus, that her number-one priority is not herself but her two-year-old daughter Matilda, and that she’s more preoccupied with running around after the toddler than keeping up appearances.
But that ability to compartmentalise her life is all-important to Helen, 26.
“When I’m home with Matilda, I’m in leggings and a bun head. When I come into work I get dressed up with my hair done and full make-up. I love it,” she says, confiding with a conspiratorial sparkle in her aquamarine eyes: “You get to go to the loo in peace.”
She admits that leaving Matilda – her daughter with her partner of eight years, Celtic footballer Scott Sinclair, 28 – in the charge of her own “amazing” mum Julia, 58, who doubles up as Matilda’s nanny, was agonising at first.
“I felt a bit guilty, asking if I was a bad mum for going to work and doing this for myself. But that’s silly. If you’re happy, it reflects on your child and they’re happy. And Matilda is happy. Everything is tiring but it’s so worth it.”
If Helen is exhausted, that’s understandable given she’s been up since 5am to get from her mum’s house in Bolton where she lives with Matilda during the week to the Corrie set in Manchester for an 8am start.
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Her on-screen alter ego Rosie, eldest daughter of Kevin (Michael Le Vell) and Sally (Sally Dynevor), returned to the Street in typically outrageous fashion this February, mistakenly accused of smuggling cocaine.
Since then Rosie’s outfits, inspired in part by pictures Helen spots on Instagram, have included a see-through net skirt and bright-pink boiler suit and have become as eye-popping as her storylines.
But Helen’s return to the soap she first joined at just nine years old hasn’t been entirely plain sailing. Initial performances seemed nervy,
some of her lines were garbled and trolls were quick to slam her acting skills.
“Annoying”, “plastic” and “bloody awful” were some of the kinder comments on social media. She admits the abuse wounded her.
“Having been in the public eye for a few years I’m quite tough-skinned, but I’m not going to lie, it did really hurt, because being an actress is something I care about,” she says.
“It’s the only thing that’s ever bothered me. I’d worked hard and was pleased with all my performances. People just want to be nasty, don’t they? I think some people can be a bit jealous.”
She was so upset she avoided Twitter until the fuss surrounding her return died down.
“It’s best not to respond,” she says.
“That’s what people want. If anyone says anything nasty, I block them. I find it a bit weird, though – I can’t imagine ever tweeting anyone something horrible. But I suppose that’s because I’m quite a content person.”
The Helen we meet today certainly seems self-assured. She’s happy to chat about everything from her long-distance relationship with Scott (who lives at their home in Glasgow) to the challenges of new motherhood.
The only subject she won’t discuss is her mental health. Helen has suffered from anxiety and bipolar disorder, which she has said in the past she controls with medication and weekly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) sessions.
Now, she explains that having it dredged up makes her feel uncomfortable.
She also suffered from what she has referred to as “borderline anorexia” as a teenager, and having been pictured looking thinner than usual recently, her weight has caused some concern.
“I had a problem with my food from about 16 to the age of 23,” she admits.
“I was obsessed with being skinny.”
Having been together since she was 19, it was planning to get pregnant with Scott that prompted her recovery.
“I really wanted to get my body healthy first,” says Helen.
She believes breastfeeding for nine months after giving birth in June 2015 caused her to drop “loads” of weight.
“It got me into great shape and I was proud to do it. The only thing is it does ruin your boobs a bit, doesn’t it? I was used to having good boobs. They’re not as pert as usual. But I don’t regret it.”
After she stopped breastfeeding last year, Helen was a whippet-thin size 6-8. Today, dressed in a tight-fitting stripy T-shirt dress that showcases a distinctly unsaggy cleavage, she is slim but not alarmingly so, and tucks into avocado and tomato sandwiches and a packet of crisps the second our interview is over.
“My boyfriend thought I had gone quite skinny and my mum took me to the doctor as she thought there was something wrong with my thyroid, but there isn’t,” says Helen, one of four siblings brought up in Bury, Greater Manchester.
“I just eat loads and don’t put any weight on. Because I had an eating disorder before, people are like: ‘Are you OK?’ They’re more likely to think you’re not eating. But really, I’m fine. I love my food. I eat cake every day. I’m there with my chocolate eclair, and my mum and my sisters are like: ‘Oh, shut up, Helen.’”
Nonetheless, she is determined not to pass on any sense of neurosis about food to her daughter.
“It was horrible struggling with eating problems and I would hate for Matilda to have an eating disorder, so even if my metabolism slowed and I was bigger, I would be cool with that. I don’t ever want her to see her mum talk about dieting.”
Does she plan to have any more children?
“Before I had Matilda I was going to have four, but I just don’t know. I definitely would like more, but I’m happy with work and I’d like to give Matilda all my attention.”
Besides, she adds: “I just don’t get broody. I always used to be so broody before Matilda. When I do get broody, I’ll have another one.”
It was horrible struggling with eating problems and I would hate for Matilda to have an eating disorder, so even if my metabolism slowed and I was bigger, I would be cool with that. I don’t ever want her to see her mum talk about dieting.
Helen Flanagan
Despite Helen’s initial wobble, she is no longer afflicted with working-mum guilt.
“I know I’m a really good mum, I don’t care if anyone else is judging me,” she says adamantly.
Which is just as well, as she was derided by the moralising people of Twitter (again) for being “irresponsible” after admitting she bed-shared with Matilda as a baby. Although experts advise this practice is fine if safety guidelines are followed, Helen was forced to backtrack, and later insisted she only did it from around four months.
However, today she has no qualms admitting Matilda still sleeps in her bed every night.
“They’re not young forever and it’s quite special having them there,” says Helen.
She intends to carry on co-sleeping until Matilda “gets bigger and is kicking me in the night”.
“Then again…” she quickly adds, in case it sounds like Scott has been forgotten.
“When I haven’t seen Scott for ages we obviously go to sleep together and I put her in her cot.”
She and former Swansea City and Manchester City player Scott split briefly in June 2013 after Scott was said to have sent explicit texts to TV presenter Donatella Panayiotou. He denied the claim, saying a friend sent them on his phone.
Helen says the couple have “grown together”, and far from placing strain on their relationship, only seeing each other two days a week when she and Matilda drive to Scotland at the weekend keeps it fresh.
“When you have time apart, you get excited to see each other. You plan date nights. Things do change when you have a baby.”
Does she mean they share a closer bond?
“Definitely, because you’ve made a child together.”
The couple aren’t engaged, but Helen says: “We will definitely get married when the time is right. It would be nice to have the same name.”
But she insists there are no plans in the pipeline for an extravagant wedding, saying vaguely: “I’ve not really thought too much about it.”
In June the couple had a five-day romantic break to New York, and FaceTime “constantly” when apart.
When you have time apart, you get excited to see each other. You plan date nights. Things do change when you have a baby.
Helen Flanagan
“Scott’s really understanding – he knew going back to work would make me happy and that it’s important for me to have Matilda most of the time,” she says.
“I would find it too difficult to work if I couldn’t see Matilda when I got home.”
When Helen arrives back from work at 7pm, she juggles learning her lines with watching repeat viewings of toddler staples Frozen and Trolls until Matilda goes to sleep at 11pm.
It’s a late bedtime for a little girl, however Helen says not only does she want to spend time with her daughter, but she is also too much of a “softie” to put Matilda to bed earlier and risk her crying.
“I’m not strict at all. Scott says she has me wrapped round her finger, but she’s my little princess and I adore her, so I don’t mind.”
Her “soft” personality got a memorable airing in I’m a Celebrity! in 2012. As a profile-enhancing exercise it had mixed results, with her stint in
the Aussie jungle summed up by much snivelling and seven failed trials.
“I thought it would be fun, that I’d make lots of friends and be in a bikini. I didn’t think I’d be doing lots of trials,” she admits.
“I was really rubbish.”
Part of the problem was that she hates heights.
“Me and my boyfriend go to Dubai a lot and there’s this massive slide at the Atlantis waterpark. He’s like: ‘Babe, I’ll buy you whatever Chanel bag you want if you just go down the slide.’ I’m like ‘no!’ It makes me feel sick.”
After leaving the jungle, she went on to pose topless and was voted the sexiest UK woman by FHM in 2013. Asked whether she’d consider doing any more racy photo shoots today and she seems slightly exasperated.
“I did one picture that I thought was tasteful. Now I’ve got Matilda I probably wouldn’t, but I’m not prudish. I think it’s a nice thing to do when you’re younger.”
And with that, she’s off to wolf down her lunch before she embarks on her photo shoot. Devoted mum, committed actress and undeniably hot to boot.
If you enjoyed this, check out what Corrie co-star Lucy Fallon had to say about taking in soap's most controversial storyline.
Coronation Street continues tomorrow at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.