EXCLUSIVE: Former Corrie star Helen Flanagan is going through a tough time lately, as a source reveals just why she's feeling so torn12:25, 04 Aug 2026Co-parenting after a split is rarely easy, and Helen Flanagan has admitted she feels 'empty' when her kids are at their dad’s.The former Coronation Street star – who also spilled the beans on her love life recently, saying she hates “rats who sleep with women and then ghost them” and gets “terrible rejection sensitivity” – has three children with her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair, 37.A source told us, “Helen really struggles when the kids aren’t there. She’s been open about it. It’s difficult – she likes them to be there.“She’s a great mum and she’s trying to do it all. She wants to get back into her acting, doing more work. She really worries when the kids aren’t there – and she wishes she could be different. They are young, but she realises she needs to get over this because she needs to work and be away from them at times.”Admitting how deflated she feels when she doesn’t have Matilda, 11, Delilah, eight, and Charlie, five, with her, Helen wrote on Instagram stories, “My kids went to their dad yesterday and I just feel really stressed and had a cry. Coffee and chocolate is always a win.”She added, “I want my children to have a good relationship with their dad and have always encouraged it. I just get sick and tired of the shit, it’s exhausting and it’s hard.“I always feel so empty when they have gone, like what is my use now? I have my kids all the time so I can’t really put much else into different areas of my life. I had a good cry and now I’m fine. It’s about them, not me.”The actress also posted a reel in which she admitted she was struggling to sleep without her little ones in the house.She said, “I actually couldn’t wake up this morning because, to cut a long story short, things aren’t ready at my house so I was staying at my parents house and then I’ve just struggled to sleep.“I usually sleep really well when I’ve got the kids, and I went to sleep last night with The Sword In The Stone, a Disney film, on repeat, and I don’t know why but my parents went away to the Lakes so I needed something on in the background and I just haven’t slept well.”Parenting specialist Sue Atkins (navigatingthedigitaljungle.com), says it’s completely understandable that Helen feels a sense of loss when her children are with their dad.“For many parents, especially those who’ve been the main caregiver, parenting isn’t just what they do – it’s a huge part of who they are,” she explains.“When the children aren’t there, the house feels quieter, the routine changes overnight and it’s not unusual to wonder, ‘What do I do now?’ That doesn’t mean you’re failing to cope. It simply reflects the strong bond you have with your children.”She believes caring for yourself as a part of parenting is important to remember – and says the many people in Helen’s situation should try to use those child-free days to catch up with friends, work, exercise, rediscover hobbies or simply rest – without feeling guilty.“Parents often tell me they feel guilty for enjoying that time, but they shouldn’t. Children don’t need exhausted, burnt-out parents, they need emotionally available ones. Missing your children is a sign of love, not weakness.“Over time, most parents find a new rhythm where they can support their children’s relationship with both parents while also rebuilding their own confidence, identity and sense of self.”Helen and Scott split in 2022 after 13 years together. They have been co-parenting ever since, but despite Helen saying she still has “a lot of love” for Scott, she has admitted they have a “very bad relationship”.Last August, Helen broke down in tears as she said on an Instagram story, “I hate co-parenting, hate it. I actually really struggle when they go away… I don’t like them going away. I only like them going away if I’m doing something. It’s just really hard.”She added, “It’s so hard because it’s like a double-edged sword. It’s like, when they go I want them straight back, and then when I’m with them all the time, I get really overwhelmed.”Helen’s love life has been a rollercoaster since she and Scott called it a day. Her most serious relationship – with former footballer Robbie Talbot – ended last May after just over a year, although she told us there was no bad blood.Despite Helen declaring she was done with men after their split, our source said she’s a die-hard romantic who still has her heart set on finding The One and enjoying that happy family dynamic once again.“She wants that family unit. She’s in love with being in love and wants to have someone she can rely on,” they said.Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .