Helen Flanagan has returned to screens for the latest series of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa and eagle eyed viewers may have noticed she is still wearing her engagement ring.
The former Coronation Street actress, 32, split from ex Celtic star Scott Sinclair last year after going through a rough patch. The couple started dating in 2009 with Scott popping the question at Disneyland Paris in 2018 before they called their relationship off last year.
Bristol Rovers player Scott and Helen have three children together – Matilda, 7, Delilah, 4, and son Charlie, 2 - as the pair navigate co-parenting. Now Helen is taking part in the brand new I'm A Celebrity series, she has opened up on her split from Scott, 33, and the reason why she is still wearing her engagement ring.
In a recent interview, Helen confirms that she and Scott split in July just before she embarked on filming for the pre-recorded I'm A Celeb in South Africa. While their split wasn't reported on until July, when Helen was spotted without her diamond rock on the red carpet, she confirms she wore the ring during filming for one specific reason.
“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.’” She told OK! Magazine.
“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."
The soap star added that her ex Scott is "a very private person" and they both needed time to process their split after 13 years together.
However, Helen admits that she hasn't returned the diamond rock to Scott following their break up, stating: "My ring’s my ring, it’s for my girls."
This comes after speculation was rife that the former couple had reunited after they were spotted holidaying together with their three kids in Dubai. Helen further fuelled the rumours as she was seen posing with a diamond ring on her engagement finger during her time away.
However, the doting mum-of-three has shut down those claims and insists she and Scott will never reconcile. Discussing their holiday together, Helen explains that Scott was in Dubai during a break from training while she was on holiday with their kids, so they simply decided to spend the day together with their three children.
Addressing why she still sports a ring on her left hand at times, Helen laughs and tells the publication: "That’s so typical of me – I didn’t even think about wearing a ring on that finger!"
Despite their split, Helen and Scott are on good terms following their Dubai holiday. The actress even takes her kids to see Scott play for his new team Bristol Rovers.
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