Former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has opened up on her private struggles following her split from ex-fiance Scott Sinclair after a “s**t show” year – including how she had battled with her mental health
Helen Flanagan has bravely opened up about her emotional turmoil following her painful split from footie ace Scott Sinclair. The celeb mum, famed for her role in Coronation Street found herself grappling with a shocking mental health spiral during what was meant to be an idyllic New Year getaway in Bali with her kids Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and Charlie, aged three.
A year down the line, she’s reflected on the immense changes, revealing how last Christmas saw her bed-bound and struggling to cope, relying on her dad for support.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Helen confessed the family heartache and mental health battles that left her feeling like life had thrown her a cruel curveball: “This time last year: Christmas – I spent it in bed x i went to my mums for a few hours as my dad was calling me x” she spilled, “I said to Scott he could have the kids ( i live really north and he lives really south) because I wanted to take the kids to Bail for ten days for new year. So I knew I had to be fair. But it really hit me out of nowhere. I said to my friends before hand it’s just a day I’ll be fine. I had bad mental health.”
The starlet didn’t hold back, airing her fears about her love life, lost cash, and shattered dream of a perfect family: “My love life was a s**t show that year…. I didn’t look after my my mental health or think. I felt so s**t and sad. I felt like my whole life was f***ed up now and I had the perfect family. 13 years is a long time to be with someone. My whole 20s. I had a lot of family fall outs too and I also lost basically all my money. Me and Scott weren’t married we were engaged.”
Helen opened up about her mental health struggles, confessing, “My mental health was so bad I thought maybe my kids would be better off without me and maybe they would be better off with their dad as he’s more level headed than me. I love my kids more than words can say but when you are not well you’re not well,” reports the Mirror.
She also shared a heart-warming update from this Christmas, saying, “In 2024 I prioritised my mental health, made up with a lot of people that I loved and came to a bit of peace,” and added, “My head is 70% clearer than it was this time last year and for that I am grateful x Of course my life isn’t perfect no one’s is and everyone has s**t going on but I have a lot to be grateful for. I remember how I felt in my head this time last year, I felt my head could have exploded and I felt at that time that I needed some tablets to just function.”
Last year, Helen experienced a psychosis episode after a “bad reaction” to ADHD medication. In an intimate chat with The Mirror, she revealed the depth of her crisis, stating, “I don’t see it as a break-up, I see it as a divorce. We were together 13 years. But instead of processing it all, I threw myself into work and shut off my emotions. I just went into survival mode. Then it all came to the surface earlier this year and I was mentally and physically breaking down. It was really sad and very scary. I was seeing things and I felt like I was in danger all the time.”
If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk