Former Coronation Street favourite Helen Flanagan has sent fans into a frenzy by openly expressing her wish to make a dramatic return to the iconic ITV cobbles. The actress, best known for her long-running role as Rosie Webster, last appeared on the show in 2018 and has now hinted that a comeback is something she would eagerly embrace.
A Webster Family Return on the Cards?
In a candid interview, the 35-year-old star admitted that while the desire to return is strong, the ball is firmly in the producers' court. "I’d love to go back to Coronation Street, but they just haven’t asked me," Flanagan revealed. "I live around the corner, but they just haven’t asked me. I’d love to, if they asked me. I’d come back, but they obviously haven’t."
Flanagan first joined the Weatherfield drama as a child, making her debut at just 10 years old. She played the part of Rosie Webster for a total of 12 years between 2000 and 2012. After a five-year break, she made a brief return in 2017, following the birth of her first child, but departed again the following year in 2018.
Life After the Street: Pantomime and Parenting
Since leaving the soap, Helen has focused on a mix of reality television, modelling, and raising her three young children. She is currently preparing to tread the boards this Christmas, taking on the role of The Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena.
Her children – Matilda, 10, Delilah, seven, and Charlie, four – will be in the audience to cheer her on. The actress spoke openly about the challenges of co-parenting with her ex-fiancé, footballer Scott Sinclair, from whom she split in 2022 after 13 years together. "He lives in like Somerset and I live in Lancashire," she explained. "So we live so far away from each other, which is really difficult when you’ve got three young children."
Flanagan credits her parents, who live just 15 minutes away, with providing crucial support. "My mum’s incredible. She really helps me bring up my children really," she said, adding that she would "really struggle" without their help.
From Reality TV to a Potential Cobbles Comeback
In the years since her Coronation Street exit, Helen has kept herself in the public eye with appearances on shows like I’m A Celebrity… South Africa and Celebs Go Dating, and recently filmed for Celebrity Ex on the Beach. She has also pursued a modelling career.
Her initial reason for leaving the soap in 2018 was twofold: she was heading on maternity leave and had grown weary of her character's "b***y" nature, wanting to explore other opportunities. Now, however, the pull of acting and the iconic street where she grew up seems stronger than ever.
Whether producers will extend the invitation for Rosie Webster to walk back onto the cobbles remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Helen Flanagan is ready and waiting for the call.
