Coronation Street’s Helen Flanagan ‘bullied relentlessly’ after joining soap
The actress has opened up about her difficult teenage years and has revealed she was forced to move schools
Coronation Street’s very own Helen Flanagan has opened up about the tough times she faced with bullying during her school years, which led to a change of schools.
The actress, who first graced our screens as Rosie Webster in 2000 at the tender age of nine, left the cobbles in 2012, only to return for a short stint in 2017 before taking maternity leave in 2018.
Chatting exclusively with Daily Star at the WhichBingo Awards, Helen shared her personal struggles from her teenage years as she navigates the tricky process of selecting a secondary school for her daughter, Matilda.
Helen said: “Picking a secondary school for my little girl can be quite daunting because I remember I did struggle with a lot of bullying as well in my first school because I was of Coronation Street.”
She continued: “I’m naturally quite a soft person as well and I did really really get picked on. My parents then moved me to a private girls’ school but when then I was only ever really there half the time.”
Despite the challenges, Helen found support and balance: “But I got extra support and I did tutors as well at Corrie. I had to be in education until I was 16 and had to do four hours a week.”
Helen also reminisced about her time studying alongside fellow young actors from the show, admitting she was the more studious one among them, reports the Daily Star.
The beloved TV personality added: “I think I was the only one who was a bit of a geek out of the Corrie lot. It was me, Brooke Vincent, Jack P Shepherd and Richard Fleeshman. But I actually did quite like it.”
Reflecting on being bullied in her youth, Helen said: “But because I got picked on an awful lot, this is now why as a mum, I worry. My little girl she is a sweetie and soft like me, but you don’t want to put your insecurities onto your children.”
As Helen prepares to relocate to a new home, she’s been reminiscing about her school days. With her children’s well-being in mind, she’s opted to move closer to their father, Scott Sinclair, with whom she shares three children: Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and Charlie, four.
Helen and the 36-year-old footballer parted ways in 2022.