'All I talk about with my friends is dating'

Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan tells us what she looks for in a man ahead of her stint on Celebs Go Dating

- SOFIA ZAGZOULE

TV star Helen Flanagan has had her fair share of heartbreak. She split from footballer Scott Sinclair – the father of her three children, Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and three-year-old Charlie – in 2022, after a 13-year relationship. She later revealed that the painful break-up was so bad, it led to a psychotic breakdown.

But Helen, 34, always wears her heart on her sleeve and is ready for love again, as she prepares to take part in dating show Celebs Go Dating. Here, the ex-Coronation Street actress opens up about why she finds dating apps “awful”, why she now goes for older guys and how she’s still a hopeless romantic.

Hi, Helen! How are you feeling about doing the show?

I’m a huge fan. I was asked to do it last year, but having split from the father of my kids after 13 years, I didn’t feel ready at all. I absolutely wasn’t in the right place. But now we’ve been apart for about two years, I thought this would be really good for me and I’d really enjoy it. And I love it. I only want to put my time into shows I really like. I’m in a much better place. I’m aware of why I am the way I am. I’ve done quite a lot of work on myself. But there’s always work to be done.

How are you feeling about dating?

I do date. I just turn up and have fun. I go with an open mind for a bit of a laugh. I don’t really get nervous. Maybe that’s a bad thing. Maybe I should get nervous!

And how do you meet people?