Helen Flanagan said she's "not superwoman" as she deals with being a single parent - including trying to comfort a crying son. The Coronation Street actress, 32, is currently navigating life and the world of co-parenting following her split from Bristol Rovers player Scott Sinclair.
During their 13-year relationship, Helen and Scott welcomed three children into the world - Matilda, seven, Delilah, four, and Charlie, two. The couple, who got engaged at Disneyland Paris in 2018, called time on their relationship last year, cancelling their fairytale wedding that had been postponed as a result of Covid-19 restrictions a few years ago.
Helen, who recently appeared in the first ever series of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, has admitted in an interview with PA that, although she is "running around like a blue-arsed fly", her new single mum life with her family is going well. And in a string of Instagram story posts yesterday, Helen told her followers that her youngest child, Charlie, did not like being put down.
As the actress got ready to hit the gym, she put Charlie on the floor so that she could do her make-up, causing the toddler to immediately start crying. "Got a day with Charlie today, you probably won't be able to hear a word but I'm doing Ibiza prep," Helen told her followers, as she applied minimal makeup. I'm gonna go see my trainer today."
Helen then revealed she was feeling bloated as she prepared for a busy day. She said: "Anyway, I've got to do some errands today and then me and Charlie are having a bonding day - hopefully he won't scream the whole day."
Turning to Charlie, Helen said: "It's alright darling, it's okay. I've got to call Matilda's school because she forgot her glasses."
By the end of the day, Charlie, who played with toys whilst his mum was working out at the gym, was happy and smiling as Helen took him out for food. After Helen joked that Charlie was "her husband", the pair dined at Yo! Sushi, where Charlie sipped on apple juice.
Helen, who lives in Manchester, told PA that Scott is currently living in Bristol: "My friends help me with the children, because I do work nearly every day. I have a friend and we’re a girl gang together – I’m not superwoman.
"So that works nicely at home. Scott’s living with his mum at the moment in Bristol, and my children are really close to their nana, so it works really well.
"My kids just have a really happy environment, with me and my friend at home, and then they have a really nice happy environment with their dad and their nana."
Helen said that she gets on "very, very well" with Scott's "absolutely fantastic" mum, who has known her since she was 19. Although she misses her "babies" whilst they're in Bristol with their dad and nana, she likes to make the most of her child-free time.
"I had my children not young, but young-ish – I had Matilda when I was 24 – and I just feel like I spent all my 20s being pregnant and breastfeeding at home," Helen reflected. "So it's kind of nice sometimes to have that time, because I know they’re in the best hands with Scott's mum, and it's lovely that I can spend some time with my friends and concentrate on my work and have some fun.
"So it’s nice, it works well. Of course I miss them, they’re my babies, but I know they’re really, really happy with their nana and their dad, so I don’t have to worry.
"I do feel like the happier you are as a mum, the better it is for your child."
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