THEY were thought to be one of the strongest couples in showbiz – so how long had the cracks been forming?
Coronation Street‘s Helen Flanagan, 32, and fiancé Scott Sinclair, 33, have called an end to their 13-year relationship – with the soap star ditching her ring weeks ago.
We exclusively revealed that Helen had been telling pals her relationship was over after she returned from filming I’m A Celebrity All-Stars in South Africa.
A source said: “Helen has removed her engagement ring and told those close to her that she is no longer with Scott.”
The pair had been together for 13 years and share three children who they will continue to co-parent.
Here we take a look back at their rocky four-year engagement, which started with a fairytale proposal but was plagued by endless delays, a ring disaster and long-distance struggles.
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In 2018 Scott dropped down on one knee at Disneyland Paris and asked Helen to marry him – almost a decade after they first got together.
By this point, the then heavily pregnant Helen and the footballer hadn’t been sharing a bed for two years.
Instead, the actress was co-sleeping with their eldest daughter Matilda.
His romantic proposition came after Helen admitted she had been pestering him to put a ring on it earlier that year.
She told OK! magazine: “I’ve pointed Scott in the right direction for an engagement ring.
“We’ve been together for nearly nine years and we’ll soon have two kids, so it’s about time.”
While things seemed rosy on the outside, Helen didn’t return to sharing a bed with her footballer boyfriend.
In fact, the pair were still sleeping separately after the birth of their second child Delilah and, later, their third child Charlie in March 2021.
In May Helen shared: “I’ve always co-slept with Charlie and the breastfeeding went hand in hand.
“I’m doing my house up at the moment (hence why most of my pics are taken in lounge area as I haven’t got round to the rest).
“One of my next jobs is mine and Scott’s room and after seven years it would be nice as a couple to actually share a bed and not feel like flat mates.”
Helen added: “I’ve always just co slept with the kids out of easiness and just basically so I can sleep and just function in the morning.”
On top of sleeping in separate rooms, the pair were also spending long periods of time apart due to their careers.
When not starring in Coronation Street, Helen would move around with Scott to live wherever he was training.
But while she was filming the ITV soap, the pair could be living hundreds of miles away from each other.
Just one year before the proposal, Helen admitted that they only saw each other at weekends due to their jobs.
Scott was living in Scotland while he played for Celtic, while Helen lived with her parents in Manchester as she was filmed scenes for Corrie.
Bizarrely, the actress admitted to enjoying being separated from her then-boyfriend.
She said: “Me and Matilda live with mum and dad during the week and at weekends we’re in Glasgow with Scott.
“It’s really lovely actually, it’s nice to have a break.
“It’s not easy, but I really wanted to go back to work and I’ve always been really supportive of his career and he’s always been really supportive of mine.”
The family finally settled down in Cheshire last year, but faced further complications when Scott joined boyhood club Bristol Rovers – which is around 150 miles away – earlier this month.
On top of this, Helen headed off to South Africa to film the All Stars special of I’m A Celebrity – adding more distance into the mix.
And upon her return, she ditched her engagement ring – sending a strong signal that things weren’t all golden.
It wasn’t the first time Helen’s hand had been bare since Scott popped the question.
In 2020 she was spotted out and about without the sparkler on her finger after the band dramatically snapped.
The mum-of-three had to send the piece of jewellery off to be repaired after the horror break.
She opted to announce the return of her engagement ring by showing it off on Instagram.
Announcing its return on Instagram, she wrote: “Finally got my ring back… after the band broke.”
The Rosie Webster actress didn’t elaborate on what caused the bizarre break.
For years, Helen also struggled to nail down a wedding day as she searched for a suitable venue.
Months after the 2018 proposal, the actress claimed she wanted to wait until their daughter Delilah was one before making any plans.
She also told Hello! magazine that she was keen on having a Christmas wedding to her footballing finance.
She told the mag: “I think the girls will absolutely love it, Matilda will love wearing a pretty dress – she will be in her element. I feel like Scott and I are already married.”
Yet, Delilah’s first birthday in June 2019 came and went without Helen sharing any plans for the wedding – Christmas or otherwise.
The pair eventually decided on a date in 2020. However, due to a combination of “lazy” wedding planning and Covid complications, the date was postponed indefinitely.
Last month, Helen told The Mirror that she had been extremely “picky” when it came to choosing a venue – but that they had finally got the wedding booked for 2024.
“I have set a date. I’m so picky. I finally found my wedding venue,” she said. “I don’t want to give it away, but basically everybody wants this venue. I think what it is as well as me and Scott have been together for so long. We’ve been together for 13 years now.
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“I’ve been with Scott since I was 19, I’m 32 now, so I think we are probably a little bit laid back because it does feel like a marriage anyway.”
Sadly, it appears our hopes of seeing the former golden couple finally walk down the aisle have come to a shocking and sudden end.
