She’s best known for her portrayal of feisty Rosie Webster on Coronation Street, but for Helen Flanagan it’s her role as a mother she’s most proud of.
The star – who shares two little girls, Matilda, five, and Delilah, two, with her footballer fiancé Scott Sinclair – is now expecting baby number three, and she couldn’t be happier.
Helen – who has launched a collection with Pour Moi – tells Closer, “I’ve always wanted a big family, so I’m just really excited. It wasn’t planned, but it wasn’t a surprise, either, because we really wanted another baby.”
And while the mum-of-two insists she doesn’t mind if her third child is a boy or a girl, she does admit she’d “absolutely love” another daughter. She reveals, “I’d love a girl gang. I have two daughters already, so I know the drill; I’m in girl mode. But, equally, I’d also adore a son. I’m just lucky to carry a healthy baby – what more could I ask for?”
While the actress looks forward to welcoming another addition to her family, her pregnancy journey has by no means been straightforward.
Helen, 30, was recently hospitalised with severe morning sickness,and though she’s now “over the worst”, she’s still suffering from bouts of sickness and dizziness. The star – who had battled the condition, known as hyperemesis gravidarum, in her other pregnancies but not to this degree – says she couldn’t have got through it without the support of her partner Scott and her mum Julia.
She explains, “She’s been amazing and Scott has been brilliant. He’s done all the cooking! It’s been a team effort. It’s nice now because I’m back to ‘normal mummy’. I do get waves [of sickness] some days, but it’s nothing like it was.”
Check out: Geoff Metcalfe ruins Tim and Sally's wedding
Coronation Street Monday 5 - Friday 9 October slider
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Billy and David meet up in Victoria Gardens and Billy confesses he's worried Paul is taking on too much with the charity helpline.
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With Paul's ordeal involving Kel still recent, Billy thinks talking to abuse victims could be triggering but David thinks volunteer work could help him.
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Elsewhere, a conflicted Nick confides in Gail about his secret son. Gail urges him to tell Leanne but Nick is adamant it's not the right time and it will only hurt her.
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At the hospital, Leanne and Steve meet with a mediator to fight for Oliver's case but the doctor insists there's nothing they can do for him.
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Leanne is furious that the hospital abandoned them and vows to do everything she can for Oliver - including taking the doctors to court.
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But taking the legal route will cost thousands, and Steve returns to his plans to sell his businesses to raise the cash for a trial.
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But Tracy puts her foot down and refuses to allow Steve to throw away their future on a court case they're probably not going to win.
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Back at the hospital, Leanne is holding vigil by Olivers bedside but is furious that Nick seems distracted by his phone and demands to know who he's texting.
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Feeling he has no choice, Nick finally comes clean to Leanne about Natasha coming forward to tell him he has a nine-year-old son.
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Leanne demands that Nick summon them to the hospital. When Sam and Natasha arrive, will their meeting be as bad as Nick feared?
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Elsewhere, Tim and Sally are determined to have a low-key wedding and only invite Faye, Abi and Gail to the celebrations.
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But despite their best efforts, Faye accidentally lets slip to Geoff about their upcoming nuptials. Faye apologises to Sally, who pretends it's no big deal.
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Later on, Tim pays a visit to his dad to tell him he's not welcome at the wedding and warns him to stay away on the day.
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A hurt Geoff begs Tim to let him come to the wedding but Tim isn't backing down, telling him he's lost his family and only has himself to blame.
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The day of the ceremony arrives and as the party piles into the car, a suited and booted Geoff shows up. Abi takes matters into her own hands.
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Newly husband and wife (again), Sally and Tim head from the registry office to the Bistro for their reception. But when a police officer turns up, Tim worries his dad might have been meddling.
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Meanwhile, Alya goes to visit Yasmeen in prison to deliver the good news that her request to appeal has been granted, but Yasmeen isn't enthused.
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Yasmeen admits that the thought of going back to court terrifies her. But even worse, that she feels safe from Geoff in prison and doesn't want to leave.
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Johnny learns that Dev's shop has been robbed and when he spots Scott handing Emma a wad of cash for Oliver, he's immediately suspicious.
Sadly, with coronavirus cases again on the rise – and Helen’s local area, Manchester, in local lockdown – there’s a chance she could face giving birth without Scott in the delivery room.
But Helen is trying to stay positive, explaining that she’s “not really a worrier”. Her laid-back approach is mirrored by her partner of 11 years. In the past, Helen has said she’d love four children, while Scott, 31, wants to draw the line at three. But he hasn’t ruled it out completely.
She says, “I’m just going to see how I feel after my third. I don’t think you can plan anything until you see how you feel. Scott is so sweet and laid-back – as long as I’m happy, he’s happy.”
Helen and Scott’s baby is due in March, and 2021 could be the year they celebrate another milestone: their wedding.
The pair – who got engaged in 2018 – were supposed to tie the knot this year, but they put their plans on hold until 2021 so that Helen’s younger sister, Jessica, could get married this summer instead.
Now Jessica’s wedding has been postponed because of coronavirus – which means Helen’s will likely be delayed once more. She says, “It’s such a shame. We’ve been together since we were 19, so we’re ready to get married now. But we genuinely don’t know what to do.”
Meanwhile, Helen has her hands full with her number one priority: her two girls. In normal circumstances, she spends most of her time ferrying her children to and from a range of activities, including, swimming, ballet, horse riding and drama lessons. Helen describes herself as a “normal mum” who, more often than not, will ditch the make-up when it comes to the school run.
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And while Helen’s struggled with extreme morning sickness, there has been one positive: the effect pregnancy has had on her skin. She reveals, “It’s quite clear at the moment”.
Helen was diagnosed with borderline anorexia at the age of 15, but has since found happiness and confidence in herself. She even vowed to stop editing her social media photos back in June in order to be a “better role model” for her daughters.
She says, “I’ve been an actress since I was young, which I think gives you a lot of confidence. It’s a good way to be.”
The Helen Flanagan Edit for Pour Moi is available now at www.pourmoi.co.uk.
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