Helen Flanagan's Explosive Memoir Details Intimate Encounters and Showbiz Romances
Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan has candidly revealed intimate details about her relationships with reality television personality James Argent and X Factor winner James Arthur in her newly published memoir. The 35-year-old actress, known for playing Rosie Webster on the long-running ITV soap, shares previously undisclosed moments from her personal life in Head & Heart: Break-ups, Breakdowns and Being Rosie, which hit shelves today.
A Hotel Room Moment with TOWIE's James Argent
Flanagan recounts a particularly revealing incident involving former The Only Way Is Essex star James Argent during their time together on Channel 5's 2013 reality programme Celebrity Super Spa. The show, which followed six celebrities working in a Liverpool spa, also featured celebrity chefs Rusty Lee and John Burton-Race alongside Shameless actor Jody Latham and Most Haunted presenter Yvette Fielding.
The actress discloses that producers actively encouraged a romantic storyline between herself and Argent, despite her personal reservations at the time. "I became firm friends with James 'Arg' Argent from The Only Way is Essex and we would spend all our time together," Flanagan writes. "I know the producers were hoping for a show romance to develop and they'd try to push me towards him, dropping hints like, 'Ah, you and Arg are so cute together...'"
She describes a pivotal moment in her hotel room where the relationship nearly escalated. "We were in my hotel room, lounging on the bed while he caressed my back – it could have developed further then, but something held me back," the memoir reveals. "When that moment slipped away, it felt like it was over. I hadn't moved on from Scott so using Arg as a rebound would have been a mistake."
Flanagan reflects on their contrasting lifestyles, noting that Argent "would eat four Greggs sausage rolls for breakfast" while she typically preferred "sporty guys who were into their health and fitness." Despite acknowledging a "fleeting spark" between them, she admits Argent was "probably more smitten with me than I was with him."
Flirtation with X Factor Winner James Arthur
The memoir also details a separate flirtation with 2012 X Factor champion James Arthur, which occurred during filming for BBC Three's comedy panel show Sweat the Small Stuff. Hosted by Nick Grimshaw with Rochelle Humes and Melvin Odoom as team captains, the programme brought the two celebrities together in what Flanagan describes as an immediate connection.
"The episode I featured in also starred James Arthur, who had clinched The X Factor title in 2012, and let's just say we, erm, clicked," she writes. "Encouraged by Grimmy, James and I flirted quite brazenly throughout the filming and swapped numbers afterwards, loosely planning to meet for a drink sometime soon."
Although nothing substantial developed beyond "some harmless WhatsApp exchanges," media speculation quickly followed the episode's broadcast. "Once the episode aired a few days later, the press latched onto it and churned out multiple stories claiming we were an item," Flanagan reveals.
Relationship Fallout and Personal Turmoil
The publicity surrounding her connection with James Arthur caused significant tension with her then-partner, footballer Scott Sinclair. "Scott was furious about it and tried every means possible to reach me, dialling my mobile and ringing my parents' landline," Flanagan discloses. "I didn't want to talk to him. He'd been so cruel to me and I was trying to move past him, something I felt like I was making good progress with."
The actress ended her thirteen-year relationship with Sinclair in October 2022, describing it as "toxic." The former couple share three children: Matilda, Delilah, and Charlie. Following the split, Flanagan experienced a brief "situationship" with boxer David Hayes, whom she first met on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in 2012 but only connected with romantically eleven years later. Their relationship concluded in December 2023.
Additional Revelations and Career Reflections
Beyond her romantic entanglements, Flanagan's memoir includes several other noteworthy disclosures. She admits to avoiding advances from controversial influencer Andrew Tate after matching with him on a dating application. The actress also reveals a heated confrontation with Coronation Street co-star Ryan Thomas shortly before her departure from the soap opera, during which she told him to "f*** off" in a moment of on-set tension.
Since leaving Coronation Street, Flanagan has transitioned to work as an influencer and model while making regular appearances on reality television programmes including Celebs Go Dating. Her memoir provides a comprehensive look at the personal challenges and professional experiences that have shaped her journey from child star to mother of three navigating the complexities of fame and relationships in the public eye.
