Coronation Street icon Helen Flanagan has opened up about a distressing encounter with fellow cast member Antony Cotton that left her feeling "broken" and reduced to tears, according to excerpts from her forthcoming autobiography. The revelations come ahead of the book's official release later this week.
Co-Star's Cruel Comment Sparks Emotional Breakdown
In her new memoir, Head & Heart: Break-ups, Breakdowns and Being Rosie, the actress who played Rosie Webster for thirteen years describes how Cotton, who portrays barman Sean Tully, made a hurtful remark about her medication that devastated her. "The actor Antony Cotton, who played barman Sean Tully, once reduced me to tears when he took the mickey out of the fact I was on medication," Flanagan writes.
She recalls the specific comment that triggered her emotional response: "'Here comes Helen Flanagan,' he said. 'You hear her rattling before you see her.' To him it was a joke for a few cheap laughs, but this was my life."
The actress explains that she was too overwhelmed to respond in the moment. "I didn't respond, I was too broken. Instead, I went to the toilets and bawled my eyes out." Metro has contacted representatives for both Coronation Street and Antony Cotton for comment regarding these allegations.
Mental Health Struggles Detailed in Candid Account
Flanagan's autobiography provides a raw and honest exploration of her mental health challenges, including postnatal depression, PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The book details her journey from initial happiness after her daughter Matilda's birth to a subsequent mental health collapse.
From Joy to Anxiety
Describing the period following her daughter's birth, Flanagan writes: "Scott and I had been on cloud nine when our beautiful daughter Matilda was born, and I'd thrown myself headfirst into motherhood. I found joy in the simplest of things: pushing the pram around the streets, walks in the park, popping to the supermarket with Matilda in the baby carrier."
She particularly valued the privacy this new chapter offered: "I loved the fact that, after 13 years on Coronation Street and other TV shows, I was finally under the radar and out of the public eye. I was so happy with my little girl in my arms, doing normal, everyday things."
Intrusive Thoughts and Paranoia
However, this period of contentment was followed by a dramatic decline in her mental wellbeing. Flanagan began experiencing severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts that significantly impacted her daily life. "I'd got it into my head that one of my neighbours was trying to kill me," she reveals. "I'd concocted this ludicrous story that he was a drug smuggler, working with my ex-fiancé, the former Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa footballer, Scott Sinclair."
Her concerns extended to her daughter's wellbeing: "I started to obsess about germs and didn't want other people touching Matilda in case they passed something on. I didn't trust anyone else with my baby, sometimes not even Scott."
Violent Intrusive Thoughts
Perhaps most distressing were the violent intrusive thoughts that plagued her. Flanagan bravely describes one particularly disturbing recurring thought: "Every time I went upstairs, I'd think I was going to chuck Matilda over the top of the banister, and I saw those images – of me letting go and watching her fall – flash through my mind as clear as day."
She explains the emotional toll of these experiences: "It was brutal and relentless. I loved my daughter so much that I ached, and that's what made the thoughts all the more unbearable."
Healing Through Writing and Conversation
Flanagan has been open about her mental health challenges in recent years and hopes her autobiography will help others facing similar struggles. In a pre-release Instagram post, she expressed her desire to foster dialogue around mental health issues.
"I think with mental health, when you talk, you feel less alone and I hope it makes you laugh too," she said. The actress has previously discussed how writing about her experiences contributed to her recovery process.
"I became extremely unwell. I was unable to work or look after my kids and I felt really powerless," Flanagan explained in an earlier social media post. "When I began to write down what I was experiencing, I found it helped... from that, I wanted to create something positive."
Head & Heart: Break-ups, Breakdowns and Being Rosie is scheduled for release on January 29th, offering readers an intimate look at Flanagan's personal and professional journey, including her time on one of Britain's most beloved television programmes and her ongoing mental health advocacy.
