Former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has made a surprising revelation about her romantic history, disclosing that both she and her on-screen sister Brooke Vincent dated the same Manchester City footballer before her long-term relationship with Scott Sinclair.
Shared Romantic History with Football Star
The 35-year-old actress, who famously portrayed Rosie Webster in the long-running ITV soap, has revealed in her new memoir that she briefly dated Manchester City youth player Reece Wabara. What makes the story particularly intriguing is that shortly after their brief romance ended, her on-screen sibling Brooke Vincent, who played Sophie Webster, went on to date the same footballer.
In her recently published book Head & Heart: Break-ups, Breakdowns and Being Rosie, Flanagan writes about the amusing coincidence. 'I dated a few guys off and on although they never developed into anything significant,' she explains. 'I went out a few times with a Manchester City youth player called Reece Wabara who – and this is too funny – Brooke later ended up going out with.'
Memorable Encounter with Landlady
The actress recalls one particularly memorable evening with Wabara that ended abruptly. 'We were never serious and I didn't sleep with him but there was one night he took me back to his lodgings after we'd been out in Manchester and his furious landlady kicked me out,' Flanagan writes. 'Er, you're not going upstairs young lady,' she said. Dead!'
Flanagan describes Wabara as 'gorgeous' but admits their relationship quickly fizzled out, adding that he was 'a ladies' man anyway.' The 33-year-old Brooke Vincent, who played her sister in Coronation Street for many years, subsequently dated the footballer herself, creating an unusual connection between the two actresses beyond their on-screen roles.
Ongoing Feud with Former Fiancé
This revelation comes amid Flanagan's very public ongoing dispute with her former fiancé, professional footballer Scott Sinclair. The couple, who share three children – Matilda (10), Delilah (7), and Charlie (4) – ended their 13-year relationship in 2022, but tensions have continued to escalate in recent months.
Property Dispute Intensifies
Sources close to the situation have revealed that Sinclair has insisted Flanagan must vacate the £1.5 million six-bedroom home they previously shared together. According to insiders, communication between the former partners has 'completely broken down,' with the couple now reportedly only communicating through Flanagan's parents.
'But Helen doesn't want to move and is digging her heels in,' a source told The Sun. 'She loves the place, the kids are settled at the local school and her mum and dad live around the corner.'
The property, which remains in Sinclair's name, was initially listed for sale last May at £1.5 million but has undergone several price reductions:
- Initially listed at £1.5 million in May
- Reduced to £1.195 million four weeks later
- Further reduced to £995,000 in September
Alternative Housing Proposals
Sinclair has reportedly offered to purchase a four-bedroom home for Flanagan and their children, even suggesting he would put the property in her name. However, this proposal comes with the condition that he would cease maintenance payments. Another source has claimed that Sinclair has yet to actually secure alternative accommodation for his former partner and their children.
'Scott wants to sell to take the money out, but he hasn't found Helen or the kids a new place,' the source explained. 'He's not being reasonable. He and Helen are not on the same page.'
Public Appeals and Criticism
The ongoing tension has spilled over into Flanagan's public communications, with the actress recently making a direct appeal to her followers on social media. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she shared a video insisting she 'didn't care' about her former fiancé and requested that fans stop contacting her with information about him.
'I've been getting messages as well, quite a lot of DMs about the whereabouts of the father of my kids,' Flanagan stated. 'Please, I really don't care. No one needs to DM me and tell me his personal business. I'm spared of that now.'
Previous Public Outburst
This follows a previous public outburst from Flanagan last month when she launched a furious attack on Sinclair after he failed to attend their son Charlie's school nativity performance. The soap star publicly criticised her ex-partner after he shared posts from Abu Dhabi, where he had spent the weekend attending the Grand Prix.
Re-sharing his Instagram post, Flanagan raged: 'You really are a piece of s***. How dare you not turn up to Charlie's nativity.'
The Daily Mail contacted representatives for both Helen Flanagan and Scott Sinclair for comment regarding the ongoing situation, though neither party has made any official public statements addressing the property dispute or the revelations in Flanagan's new book.
