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As Helen Flanagan allegedly enters yet another war with ex-partner Scott Sinclair over her family home, the Mirror takes a look at her financial woes, which have seen her go from being a reported millionaire to struggling to pay taxi fare

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With their fraught relationship taking yet another turn, Helen Flanagan is allegedly being asked to leave her home by her ex, Scott Sinclair. And this is far from the only issue she’s faced since their acrimonious split.

Having previously had to say goodbye to their eight-bed mansion, Helen, who parted ways with the ex-Man City midfielder in 2022, is reportedly now being asked to leave the six-bed house she shares with their three young children, Matilda, ten, Delilah, seven, and son Charlie, four.

It’s understood that the property, situated in Belmont, near Bolton, is in Scott’s name, and he’s now eager for her to downsize and live in a smaller four-bed property, which he has even offered to buy for her. But it doesn’t appear the 35-year-old Coronation Street legend will go quietly, not wanting to disrupt her kids’ education, or give up the handy location close to her parents.

READ MORE: Helen Flanagan ‘forced out of home by ex Scott Sinclair’ as feud reaches new low

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A source told The Sun: “Scott pays for the house and all the bills, and he’s decided a six-bedroom place is way too big for Helen on her own with the kids. Helen doesn’t want to move and is digging her heels in. She loves the place, the kids are settled at the local school, and her mum and dad live around the corner.” They added:”Scott wants to buy Helen a four-bedroom home. He’s even offered to put it in her name, but wants to stop the maintenance payments.”The animosity between them was made evident over the festive period, when Helen lashed out at her former partner for allegedly choosing to attend the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix over their son’s Nativity play. Taking to social media, Helen raged: “You really are a piece of sh*t. How dare you not turn up to Charlie’s nativity.”

Helen, who has reportedly added value to the property, has faced a number of difficulties in recent years, most notably with her financial situation. At the height of her career, Helen previously enjoyed a lifestyle many could only dream of, jetting off on lavish holidays, living in luxury homes and treating herself to designer splurges but this comfortable lifestyle was not to last. her money woes came to light in January 2025, following a driving ban that left her in apparent dire straits. The soap star was handed a six-month ban when cameras clocked her Audi speeding twice in June 2024, but in a desperate plea to the magistrate, Helen revealed this would cause her “exceptional hardship”.

Revealing that she would struggle to afford the taxis she’d need to use for her children, the mother-of-three shared: “I think there might be a perception maybe that I would easily be able to afford a driver, but that’s quite far from the case. I’ve got enough money in my account to pay off my tax and my VAT, and basically that’s about it.”

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Explaining that it would be expensive to transport her son to nursery in an Uber, Helen said: “Nursery is really important for my little boy. I’m a single mum, so it gives me a bit of a break. It’s a bit of a drive to get there. The only way I would be able to get him to nursery is by Uber. That would be very expensive. I’m really struggling at the moment financially.”

She previously vented about her predicament on Instagram. In a video, Helen told followers how the ban had left her feeling helpless, especially when it came to running a household alone. “I’ve not had a car for ages and it’s been really awful,” she said. “We are out of loo roll now – I can’t pop out to the shops. My friend has to bring me loo roll.”

“Losing her driving licence when she’s got three kids to look after is a nightmare,” a source previously told the Mirror. “Helen really just wants to get back into acting and be financially independent and stable, for herself as well as the kids. Even though she does well with brand deals, [an acting job] would make a massive difference in making her more independent.”

Then, in April 2025, Helen candidly admitted she’d been forced to sell the eight-bedroom family home as she could no longer afford the upkeep. She told the Declutter Hub podcast: “It actually makes me sad that I’m going to be leaving soon because I actually put so much effort into it. When we moved, I put a lot of my savings into doing the house up and making it look really beautiful. But it’s a big house. It’s an eight-bedroom house, which is obviously really hard to keep on top of.”

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It’s a far different reality than one might expect from someone who once played one of Corrie’s best-known characters. After being cast as Rosie Webster in 2000, Helen, who’d previously appeared in ads for Fairy Liquid and Daz, went on to partake in some of the ITV show’s juiciest storylines, including her affair and subsequent kidnap by serial killer teacher John Stape.

While her earnings started off at an estimated £400 per episode, according to Mail Online, by 2017, her salary was estimated to be around the £120,000 a year mark. And this, of course, wasn’t her only source of income. A TV personality in hot demand, Helen was reportedly paid an extraordinary £150,000 per week to appear in the 2012 series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. A regular face on telly beyond the cobbles, Helen appeared on everything from Celebrity Juice to Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, and it seemed to fans that money woes were the furthest thing from her mind.

This well-heeled image was solidified further by Helen’s ‘WAG’ status, with former partner Scott having been a high earner throughout their 13-year relationship. The former Swansea City player was previously reported to be on an enviable £55,000 per week during their time together, affording the family a level of luxury glimpsed through glossy magazine shoots. But sadly, it was not to last.

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Despite her troubles, it’s clear Helen is a sought-after star enjoying a sizeable presence on Instagram, where she regularly showcases steamy shoots from her endorsement of lingerie brand Ann Summers. Over Christmas, Helen also earned a reported £85,000 salary for playing the evil queen in a pantomime of Snow White, The Sun reports, which will likely prove to be a welcome boost to her bank account.

Going forward, Helen is said to be keen on leaving Scott firmly in the past and is ready to find love again. A source previously told the Mirror: “Helen is definitely ready for love. She loves being with someone and wants to meet a new partner that she can really trust and depend on. She likes feeling like part of a team with someone, and she’s determined that whoever she ends up with will be a guy who adores her three kids too, because they are her top priority.”

The Mirror has reached out to Scott Sinclair’s representatives for comment.

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Emmerdale star, Sammy Winward, stopped speaking to her daughter, Mia, when she revealed she had joined OnlyFans in scenes, which could be straight out of a soap script

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We’re all used to things kicking off in soap land, but off-screen things can be just as dramatic.

After the news of Emmerdale star Sammy Winward’s daughter, Mia, announcing her pregnancy – which her estranged mum doesn’t know about following the fallout over Mia joining OnlyFans – a whole host of household names’ real-life feuds could be straight out of a soap script.

From Ryan Thomas’ bitter break-up with fellow Coronation Street star, Tina O’Brien, to Emmerdale’s Asan N’jie threatening to stab Hollyoaks veteran, Jamie Lomas at the 2019 TV Choice Awards, there are more famous faces feuding in real life than you would expect. So, as we wait to see if Sammy will patch things up with model, Mia, here’s a look at some of the bitterest soap star bust-ups off-screen, kicking off with the Katie Sugden legend and her mini-me…

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READ MORE: Inside Emmerdale star’s sad feud with daughter that erupted over OnlyFansREAD MORE: ‘I haven’t told Emmerdale icon mum I’m pregnant – she won’t speak to me after OnlyFans’

Emmerdale star, Sammy Winward and daughter, Mia

Emmerdale’s Sammy Winward is said to have been left devastated over the sad feud with her daughter. The soap star shares Mia with her ex, David Dunn and used to regularly share snaps of her mini-me, now 20, on social media, gushing that the then teenager was her “best friend”. However, when Mia, who has announced she is expecting her first child – but hasn’t told her mum, revealed she was stripping off for OnlyFans, Sammy cut all ties.

Now, Mia says she has quit the X-rated sharing site after finding out she was pregnant, admitting that she is yet to tell her mum her news. However, she told The Sun the pair have “got a lot to work on”, revealing: “There’s a lot to forgive and that process hasn’t even started yet”.

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Coronation Street’s Ryan Thomas and Tina O’Brien

Despite falling in love on set and welcoming their actress daughter, Scarlett, into the world into 2009, Ryan and had one of the fiercest feuds in soap history.

Tensions between the Coronation Street exes have been bubbling over for years and tensions reached boiling point in 2022 when Tina was accused of smashing up Ryan’s car with a baseball bat after a furious row.

The cause of the fiery feud has remained a mystery, but it’s since been claimed that Tina was angry with Ryan for encouraging their daughter to pursue a career in showbiz while Tina wanted her to have more of a ‘normal life’.

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EastEnders’ Danielle Harold and Max Bowden

Lola Pearce, star, Danielle, confused fans when she unfollowed Jamie Borthwick, who played her on-screen husband on EastEnders, on social media.

However, the reason the pair fell out was reportedly because of Danielle feuding with former co-star, Max Bowden. A source told the Daily Mail that the pair had been in a relationship, which hadn’t ended well, claiming: “Danielle and Max dated for a number of years. Of course, it was known among the EastEnders cast and everyone thought they were sweet together.

“Their relationship hasn’t ended on the best terms, and they have even unfollowed each other on Instagram. There are a lot of emotions after they were friends, colleagues, and romantically involved for such a long time.”

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Hollyoaks’ Jamie Lomas and Emmerdale’s Asan N’jie

Things got very nasty between Jamie and Asan at the TV Choice Awards in 2019, which saw the former Emmerdale actor threatening to stab the Warren Fox star.

It was later revealed that the fracas was over a financial disagreement between Jamie and one of Asan’s friends and co-stars. Asan was subsequently sacked from his role of Ellis Chapman shortly after, and apologised in a statement.

He said: “I sincerely apologise to everybody who has been affected, especially Jamie Lomas, the whole Emmerdale team, our audience, ITV, my family and the organisers of the TV Choice Awards. I am devastated, accept full responsibility for my actions and I am determined to learn from this.”

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Corrie’s Kym Marsh and Hollyoaks’ Steph Waring

In 2014, Hollyoaks veteran, Steph, slammed Corrie’s Kym for dating her ex, Dan Hopper, just six weeks after their five-year relationship ended.

Steph, who shares daughter, Lexi-Grace, with Dan, lashed out at the Hear-Say star, telling The Sun: “She’s carried on with him knowing what it’s done to me. It is killing me.

“I considered her a friend who I’ve known for years. I had no idea that she would ever do anything like this… There is an unwritten rule that if you are friends with somebody you don’t go near their ex partners.”

Kym – who played Michelle Connor in Corrie from 2006 to 2019 – ignored the claims, saying she was disappointed in Steph for not speaking to her face-to-face.

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Roxanne Pallett and most of the cast of Emmerdale

Roxanne Pallett enraged her Emmerdale co-stars and Celebrity Big Brother viewers when she accused Corrie’s Ryan Thomas of punching her on the reality show.

A visibly shaken Ryan got a warning before it was revealed that Roxanne had been lying, leading to Ryan winning the show.

Following the fracas, 22 of Roxanne’s former Emmerdale co-stars complained about her on Twitter. Nick Miles, who played Jimmy King, wrote: “Anybody who has worked with this woman knows she’s toxic. CBB must have known it too.”

Meanwhile, Katie Sugden star, Sammy, added: “It’s been a long time coming.”

John Alford’s laywer said the star is likely to be targeted in prison for ‘who he is’ – but according to a prison expert, celebrity status doesn’t get you anywhere when behind bars and he will be at the bottom of the hierarchy due to the nature of his crimes

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Nineties star John Alford’s fall from grace saw him put behind bars for eight and a half years after a jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of penetrative sexual activity of a child, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

Once a highly respected and telly heartthrob, Alford’s life behind bars looks very different from the fame and lifestyle he once held. He was an in-demand actor appearing in famous shows including Grange Hill and London’s Burning. But is now a convicted paedophile, and experts say he is going to be “targeted” in prison for his crime – and his celebrity status won’t help him.

READ MORE: John Alford’s deviant shopping list before sexually abusing teens at sleepover

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In mitigation, Alford’s barrister said his client has been diagnosed with ADHD and other mental health issues. He said Alford now recognises he has a problem with alcohol, which “he has not really addressed throughout his life”. The court heard Alford is a dad to four children, aged between five and 19. He said Alford is likely to be targeted in prison because of “who he is”.

But Nusrit Mehtab, former Met superintendent and senior lecturer in policing and criminal justice said this isn’t the case. She told Daily Mirror that the prison won’t recognise his celebrity or his past success, instead, they’ll just recognise his crime, which in prison hierarchy – is right at the bottom.

“He’s a sexual predator, and people will see him that way. He’s got a custodial sentence. Obviously, we know what that is. And it’s one of the most stigmatised categories within the prison service, don’t forget,” she explained. Because of this, there will be a risk assessment on him, and he will be placed in the vulnerable prisoners wing where he will be segregated from the main prison population.

Nusrit further explained: “In prison, success carries very little weight. And let’s not forget, respect is shaped by reputation, behaviour, and the offence type. There’s a hierarchy within prison. Obviously, if you’re an OG gangster who knows how the prison system works, then they’ll respect you more than if you’re a sex offender, and especially if you’ve committed crimes against children.”

Due to his fame, it will also be harder for Alford to hide, as people will recognise him – whether it’s from the TV, or his face in the news for his crime. The expert said news can travel fast in prisons, and Alford’s prison life will be “limited”.

“When you get convicted of a sexual offence against children, there’s a hierarchy in prison, and he is one of the lowest in the hierarchy. So obviously it will have its psychological cost, it will lead to isolation, there’ll be limited social interaction, and restricted access into prison activities. Because they can’t be with the normal prison population.

“Not for the beginning because he’ll be segregated. So when we think about his fame, I think rather than shielding him as an individual, it can increase scrutiny. But people will know he’s there, and there will always be someone, whether it’s a prison guard, whether it’s the general public, somebody will recognise him. And obviously, let’s face it, they’re going to read about him.

“And also other people coming into prisons, because you’ve got visitors as well who will say, ‘Oh, do you know that man? He’s come into your prison’. He will be a target, he will get some form of attention. Also, psychologically for him, he’ll struggle with that sudden and complete loss of status.”

Nusrit said “everything is going to impact him” and more so than someone who doesn’t have a celebrity status. She said his life behind bars will be “regimented” and “highly repetitive”.

“Don’t forget, prison is overcrowded anyway, and prisoners do spend a lot of time in their cells. But for him being in the vulnerable wing, being kind of isolated from the general prison population, for now, and obviously I don’t know, depending on how he is, his behaviour etc, things may change, but he’s still a sex offender. But his life in prison will be different to somebody else who has committed a different offence.

Alford sexually assaulted girls aged 14 and 15 at a friend’s home on April 9, 2022. He was convicted on six counts including sexual assault, penetrative sexual activity with a child and penetrative sexual assault. When the verdicts were read out, he placed his head in his hand and said: “Wrong, I didn’t do this!”

Prosecuting barrister Julie Whitby said both of the girls were drunk when the incidents happened. All of the offences took place at the home of a third girl whose father was friends with Alford.

Brad Renfro starred in The Client alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones at age 11, but the promising Hollywood actor’s life was tragically cut short at just 25

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Hollywood’s child stars have sometimes met tragic and premature fates. Actors such as Stand By Me’s River Phoenix, Descendants’ Cameron Boyce, Poltergeist’s Heather O’Rourke and Diff’rent Strokes’ Dana Plato all died far too young, leaving fans heartbroken.

Another name added to this heartbreaking list is Brad Renfro, who burst onto the scene at just 11 years old with a leading role in Joel Schumacher’s American legal thriller The Client – alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. Tragically, he died on 15 January 2008, aged only 25.

Speaking to El Pais last year on the anniversary of his death, Carlos Montero, the creator of hits such as the TV series Élite, said: “For me, Brad was the heir to the fascination I felt for River Phoenix. Brad was an actor with an undeniable animal appeal. And a look in which all his inner turbulence could be sensed […] You could sense he was a kamikaze in his way of approaching the characters, and also no doubt in his way of living. And that has always attracted me a lot.”

During his brief career, he managed to complete an impressive 20 films, with his final appearance in 2008’s The Informers, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Winona Ryder.

READ MORE: ‘Wrenched from my mothers arms in a convent – nuns said I was taken for her sins’

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As Brad’s celebrity status grew and he matured, he unfortunately had several run-ins with the authorities. In 1998, he was arrested for possessing marijuana and cocaine.

Two years later, in 2000, he was arrested and given two years probation for attempting to steal a 45-foot yacht in Florida with a mate. Brad lashed out at journalists who attempted to interview him, saying, “You can just feel the slime on them”, and branded film critics “the fat kids in high school that nobody liked, so they’re out there to get you”.

In 2005, he faced charges for driving under the influence, and just weeks afterwards was caught in a police sting attempting to purchase heroin – he admitted guilt and entered rehab. In 2008, Brad’s drug issues came to a head when his girlfriend discovered him unresponsive in his LA flat after a night out with mates.

In her heartbreaking call to emergency services, she said when asked what had occurred: “I’m not sure. I mean, I think he might have taken a couple of pills last night. … He had an audition at 1 o’clock this afternoon. I’ve been trying to wake him up to get ready and he just won’t move.”

Assistant director Fernando Altschul who worked on 1998 psychological thriller Apt Pupil, believes Hollywood isn’t a suitable place for young children to grow up in, previously telling BuzzFeed: “I feel like we’ve failed children like Brad in some ways. “Maybe there should be someone who says a person in his situation isn’t psychologically ready to be on such a volatile place as a film set. I don’t know how you make that judgment, and if you’re offering somebody money, [how] they’re going to say no to it.”

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An autopsy concluded that Brad’s death was accidental, resulting from acute heroin/morphine intoxication. Brad, who grew up in a trailer park and lived with his grandmother, was cast in The Client despite having no acting experience. The casting director was seeking a ‘tough kid’ and found Brad after screening 5,000 boys across the USA.

The film became one of the top-grossing films of 1994. He went on to feature in Tom And Huck, Sleepers – where he played the younger version of Brad Pitt’s character, Telling Lies In America, Apt Pupil and other films.