Helen Flanagan's Unconventional Touring Lifestyle
Former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has made a surprising revelation about her current living arrangements while on a theatre tour. The 35-year-old star, who plays Princess Jill in the Mother Goose Easter Panto production, confessed to her Instagram followers that she has abandoned traditional luggage in favour of a more makeshift solution.
From Suitcase to Bin Bag
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Saturday, Flanagan explained her unconventional approach to packing. "I'm in Wales, I've done two shows and am having such a fun time on this tour," she began. "Organisation is not my strong point – obviously ADHD. But I could not cope with lugging my suitcase around any further, so look at this…"
The camera then panned to reveal her new "luggage" – a white plastic bin bag stuffed with her personal belongings. She added with a laugh: "I turned up to the theatre with a bag like this. I can't cope with a suitcase any longer!"
Travelodge Confrontation Precedes Bag Revelation
This plastic bag confession comes just days after Flanagan publicly criticised hotel chain Travelodge in a series of Instagram posts. The actress claimed that a staff member threatened to call the police when she slept past her designated checkout time.
The incident occurred during the theatre tour's stop in Northampton. After performing in Mansfield on Monday night, the cast and crew travelled to Northampton where they stayed at a Travelodge in preparation for their Tuesday performance.
Flanagan took to Instagram on Tuesday afternoon to complain about her interrupted lie-in. Posting a video from outside the Northampton branch, she tagged the hotel chain and wrote "she was so horrible," before explaining the situation to her followers.
"To cut a long story short, on this theatre tour we are staying in these Travelodges. Fine," she began. "I got woke up this morning, I'm due on my period and I've not been sleeping properly so I basically went to bed at half one and woke up at 12. I literally woke up to this woman at 12 o'clock banging on my door, telling me to open the door."
The Police Threat Incident
Helen continued her account: "I went 'oh hi sorry'. She said 'checkout is at 12'. I said 'sorry I didn't know, I'll just have a quick shower and go'. She said 'no you can't have a shower, you need to get out now before I ring the police.'"
In another video, Flanagan revealed that her friend Matt Wright "came to save me." She laughed as she explained: "The reason why I'm crying is because I'm due on my period and I don't like being away from my kids. All I need is a bit of respect, not to be woken up in the morning when I'm trying to have a lie-in and told to get out and I can't have a shower."
The situation reportedly worsened when Flanagan realised there were no shower facilities available at the theatre either.
Travelodge Responds to the Incident
A Travelodge spokesperson addressed the situation in a statement to the Daily Mail: "We are sorry to hear that Helen was disappointed with her stay. We have reached out to her directly and are speaking with the hotel team to understand what happened on this occasion."
Juggling Multiple Projects
Despite these touring challenges, Flanagan remains busy with multiple professional commitments. She continues her panto tour while simultaneously managing parenting duties and promotional work for her next television project – Celebrity Ex On The Beach.
The actress has joined the Paramount+ reality series alongside several other celebrities including TOWIE's Dani Imbert, 27, John Grimes, 34 (one half of twin duo Jedward), and Love Island star Toby Aromolaran.
On this explosive dating show, filmed in sunny Tenerife, Flanagan will come face-to-face with former flames, which could potentially include her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair or even boxer David Haye.
Personal Life and Future Plans
Flanagan's 13-year relationship with Scott Sinclair, with whom she shares three children, ended in 2022. Earlier this year, she revealed the depth of her feelings for David Haye in her autobiography Head & Heart, admitting she fell "deeply in love" with the former world champion, though their romance proved complicated.
Now embarking on another search for love – having previously appeared on Celebs Go Dating – Flanagan has revealed she hopes to settle down with someone in the public eye, admitting she fears being taken advantage of outside the spotlight.
The latest series of Celebrity Ex On The Beach will also feature Married At First Sight UK star Amy Kenyon, 28, and Love Is Blind contestant Freddie Powell, 32, while comedian Daisy May Cooper joins as the show's new narrator.
