Helen Flanagan Spills Shocking Feuds From ‘Mean Girl’ Co-Star to TV Legend Who ‘Despised’ Her
Helen Flanagan is pulling back the curtain on her life in showbiz in her new memoir, Head & Heart, and the revelations are explosive. The 35-year-old actress, best known for her long-running role as Rosie Webster on Coronation Street, opened up about the difficult experiences she faced returning to the show in 2017, as well as tension on reality TV sets.
Flanagan says she encountered a “Mean Girl” atmosphere when she came back to the cobbles. She pointed to one unnamed co-star who ran a clique and treated her coldly. Maybe her nose was out of joint because my return had attracted a fair bit of press attention – not something I could have helped, Flanagan wrote.
She described feeling isolated in the cast, often sitting alone in the canteen. I can get on with everyone, but this actress just wasn’t very nice to me, she added.
The memoir doesn’t shy away from naming names. Flanagan recalled a moment with Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully, saying that he publicly mocked her for being on medication. The actor Antony Cotton… once reduced me to tears when he took the mickey out of the fact I was on medication, she wrote.
He allegedly quipped, Here comes Helen Flanagan. You hear her rattling before you see her. Flanagan admitted the comment left her broken, forcing her to hide in the toilets and cry.
Flanagan also revealed a tense experience with TV icon Yvette Fielding during their 2013 stint on Celebrity Super Spa. She claims Fielding absolutely detested her, even calling her evil on set. The actress suggested Fielding might have been influenced by producers or struggling personally, recalling how she criticized Flanagan’s outfit after an FHM party: I saw what you wore last night. Wasn’t very classy was it? Flanagan’s response was sharp: Fielding was the last person I’d be taking fashion advice from.
Outside of her memoir, Flanagan has kept busy in 2026. She just completed a successful stage tour with 222 A Ghost Story, earning praise for her theatrical debut.
Flanagan is also outspoken online about ADHD awareness and body positivity, building a strong social media presence. Her memoir has topped Amazon’s best-seller list, showing that readers are eager for behind-the-scenes stories from Coronation Street and reality TV.
The timing of Flanagan’s tell-all coincides with a major cast shake-up at Coronation Street. While the show has not officially responded to the book, it has certainly reignited conversations about the pressures and politics of the British soap world.
Flanagan’s memoir leaves fans debating whether she was right to reveal the behind-the-scenes drama. Do you think Helen Flanagan was right to name names and expose the “Mean Girl” culture, or should some feuds stay private?
