Former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has candidly revealed she experienced an emotional rollercoaster over the festive period, having spent Christmas Day away from her three young children.
An Emotional Admission on Social Media
The 35-year-old soap star, who separated from Bristol Rovers footballer Scott Sinclair in 2022 after 13 years together, opened up to her Instagram followers about her fluctuating moods. Sharing a selfie, she wrote: 'Been a bit up and down mood wise the past few days... so not really been on my social so thought we now could have a catch up.'
In a heartfelt series of posts, Flanagan confessed she found the lead-up to the holiday particularly difficult. She struggled with the thought of her children—Matilda, 10, Delilah, seven, and four-year-old Charlie—leaving to spend Christmas with their father. They departed on 22 December and will not return until she finishes her pantomime run.
'I know it's just a day,' she added, alongside a sweet photograph of herself and her children in festive pyjamas, which she clarified was taken last year at her mother's house.
Navigating Co-Parenting During the Festive Season
Despite her personal feelings, Flanagan was emphatic that her children's happiness and relationship with their father remain her priority. Posting another image of her three children, she stated: 'Course I missed them but it's not about me it's about them and I have always encouraged a relationship with the children with their father.'
She explained the practical challenges of their current dynamic, revealing she has not video-called the children while they have been away. 'I have not face timed the children since they have been gone as me and their father don't have that kind of relationship where we can do that,' she wrote, suggesting it was better for the children, especially young Charlie, to avoid potential upset.
To improve future communication, Flanagan shared that eldest daughter Matilda will receive a mobile phone for Christmas as she prepares for secondary school.
Contrasting Festive Experiences Amid Ongoing Tensions
While Flanagan spent part of the day with her niece and nephew, describing it as a 'lovely Christmas' despite not being the same without her 'babies', Scott Sinclair documented his festive period with the children on his own social media.
The footballer posted pictures of a forest walk and a family trip to an ice rink, captioning one post simply 'Peace and happiness.' He later shared images of the children opening presents and enjoying Christmas dinner together, writing: 'Merry Christmas everyone, thankful for love, family and all the little moments.'
This comes after a period of public friction between the ex-couple. Earlier in December, Flanagan criticised Sinclair for travelling to Abu Dhabi and missing their son Charlie's nativity play. She has also publicly praised her mother, Julia, for 'practically raising her kids' during her two-month panto commitment in Liverpool, where she stars as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Sources suggest communication between Flanagan and Sinclair has broken down, with reports they have blocked each other and now only communicate through relatives. An insider claimed that since Sinclair's split from his girlfriend Lauren Davies, he 'hasn't been present' in his children's lives, allegations which contrast with his recent festive posts.
