Helen Flanagan has opened up about co-parenting with her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair.
The former Coronation Street actress split from the Bristol Rovers footballer in July 2022, after 13 years together.
The former couple share three children – Matilda, 8, Delilah, 5, and Charlie, 2.
Speaking to The UK Sun, Helen said: “I co-parent with Scott. We were together for a long time. So he lives with his mum in Bristol and I live in Manchester with the kids. I get on really well with Scott’s mum.”
“I was with Scott aged 19-31, so that’s why I get on so well with his mum. So honestly it makes my life so easy because we hang out together. It’s really nice. It’s pretty drama free as I get on really well with her.”
“The kids see their dad all the time, they see their nana a lot. We’re always in Birmingham a lot to meet with the kids half way.”
“The kids have an amazing time when they are with me too. I have a friend that helps me, because obviously I work as well. I work nearly every day so I do have a friend that comes to help me because well, I’m not a superwoman.”
“We do mum things, the kids all have different activities too,” Helen continued. “Then when they go to their dad, they have a lovely time with him. They’ve just been to Dubai actually for a week with their dad and had a lovely time.”
“So I missed them when they were away, but it was a shock to my system when they were back.”
Speaking about mum guilt, the Coronation Street actress admitted: “As women I don’t think we can ever win. I’ve got friends who don’t work at all, stay at home.”
“Then they feel bad they are not working. Then I’ve got friends who work all the time and they feel guilty because they are working all the time. I just feel as a woman you can never win. I do feel like the happier you are as a mum, the better it is for your child.”
In an interview with OK! Magazine last month, Helen spoke about her split from Scott for the first time, as she shut down speculation they had rekindled their romance.
The mum-of-three said: “A lot of people say, ‘Oh, stay, make things work for the children’. But children need happy parents and they need a happy environment, so it’s not always so straightforward.”
“You don’t spend all your twenties with someone, have three children and not have a good relationship and care about them and love them. When you have that with someone, no one – nothing – can take away what we had. I’ll always love him and he’ll always love me, you just sometimes don’t work any more.”
“It will always be really special. But I don’t regret anything. I have three perfect children.”
Speaking about dealing with the heartbreak, Helen admitted: “It has been a journey. We get on for the children.”
“I really struggled in the winter – I found February difficult. I felt lonely, I suppose – I don’t like being in the house on my own. I miss watching stuff with someone, you put the kids to bed, do all that and then… eugh. I was used to having that.”
“But I’m quite open with how I feel. I deal with my mental health quite well. I just keep myself busy, keep really positive, and surround myself with good friends. One thing I’ve learned is I’m stronger than I thought. And I try to have a bit of a laugh.”
The former soap star, who filmed I’m A Celebrity… South Africa a few months after her split from Scott, went on to say: “I did wear my engagement ring when I was in the jungle. We’d only just broken up, and I didn’t want everyone to be asking, ‘Where’s your ring.’”
“I didn’t want to talk about it… I wanted to keep it private for the kids, I didn’t want to be talking about it on the show. I did find that difficult, because I had all that going on in my head.”
“He’s a very private person, while I’m an open book. But we were together for 13 years – we both needed to deal with the break-up.”
When asked if there’s any possibility of her and Scott getting back together, Helen said: “No. I just hope we can be good friends and co-parent.”
Helen and Scott started dating in 2009, and they got engaged in 2018.
The former couple share three children together – Matilda, 8, Delilah, 5, and Charlie, 2.
