HELEN Flanagan is struggling with her self-esteem when it comes to finding love, her Celebs Go Dating coach has revealed.
Anna Williamson, one of the E4 show’s dating experts, has lifted the lid on the difficulties the former Coronation Street star has faced ahead of her debut.
Helen, 34, is currently single after splitting with her footballer fiancé Scott Sinclair in 2022 – and Anna says she is finding dating again really difficult.
Anna has attributed Helen’s lack of confidence to the fact she has emerged from a 13-year relationship, aged in her 30s and with three children in tow.
She has even described Helen as “the poster girl” for single mums who are fresh from a break-up.
Speaking ahead of Celebs Go Dating‘s big return, Anna says: “This is the first time in Helen’s life ever that she’s been on her own.
“This is the first time she has been a mature adult but she’s in the wilderness and she’s confused. She is so strong and successful in other areas of her life, but not he love life.
“Of course, you don’t know who you are or how to date; you’ve spent 10 years – your entire twenties, when most people are doing a lot of their sh*gging and mistakes – in a relationship.
“Your 20s are a time for experimentation with no pressures, typically. Your 30s – more responsibility. She is doing it the other way around, so it’s completely reasonable that she’s feeling like a fish out of water.”
Anna, who stars on Celebs Go Dating alongside fellow matchmaker Paul C. Brunson, has also revealed that Helen needs to work on her ‘chat’ when it comes to meeting new guys.
She has even described Helen as “the poster girl” for mums who are suffering from “low self esteem” after a painful breakup.
Anna continues: “Helen needs to do a lot of work on inner-self critic.
“She’s going to be such an important celeb as she’s representative of such a huge demographic of women and people coming out of relationships in their 30s and 40s.
“Maybe after marriage and children, the stats are that one in five break up within 12 months of having a baby. It’s really hard and I see it hand over fist. A lot of those relationships just don’t make it.
“The pressures of having kids and not learning how to communicate properly are like a bomb’s gone off. They are back in the dating pool, with children, an ex and suffering low self-esteem – Helen will be the poster girl for that.”
She adds: “I have lots of friends – I am 42 – lots of my friends are divorced now and remarrying. Helen is a textbook case. ‘I am out of a relationship will anyone want me? I haven’t had sex with another man for donkey’s years. Who am I?’”
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She is still in contact with her ex Scott for the sake of their three young children, however she has admitted they just “don’t like each other” anymore.
When asked if Helen is confident when it comes to dating again, Anna replied: “Yes, she has got confidence and that sexy act down.
“But we’re teaching her how to go deeper and the art of conversation, which to her acknowledgement she doesn’t have.
“She has hairdresser chat. She’s better than that. Literally she asked her date what his favourite holiday was.”
