Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan introduces us to the ‘secret’ boyfriend she had while on Celebs Go Dating, Robbie Talbot – and talking wedding bells

Their relationship may have got off to a controversial start, but in their first joint interview, it’s clear Helen Flanagan and boyfriend Robbie Talbot are paying no mind to the drama. In fact, the loved-up pair spend the entirety of our shoot laughing and joking with each other, Robbie teasing playfully while former Coronation Street actress Helen falls about giggling.

For a couple with five kids between them, they are remarkably relaxed and, once you get them started on their romance, there’s no stopping them. “I’ve never met anyone like him,” Helen gushes as she gazes over at Robbie, 44. “He’s not only a lovely man, but he’s really, really funny. And he had the balls to chat me up! Usually I don’t get that, but he has so much confidence. And he really takes care of me.”

The pair met in February at a restaurant in Alderley Edge, just days before Helen, 34, signed a contract to appear on E4’s Celebs Go Dating. Despite undeniable chemistry with her new man, Helen went ahead with the programme, even kissing potential dates.

“I’d always wanted to do the show, it was a great opportunity,” Helen tells us now, before Robbie adds, “We weren’t serious at that point, we were just dating. And we communicated the whole way through. I knew all along what was happening.” More on that later. Fast-forward eight months and the show has aired, their romance is officially out in the open and they’ve met each other’s kids. Next stop?

“I still dream about a big wedding,” Helen says, giving Robbie a nudge. “I want the dress, the big day, all of it. I definitely want to get married.” Helen, who was previously engaged to footballer Scott Sinclair, hasn’t made it down the aisle yet, but Robbie, who has two daughters, has. “I’d be open to doing it again, of course,” he says now.

The couple are also sold on more kids, adding to their brood of five. Helen shares children Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and three year-old Charlie with Scott, while Robbie is dad to Sophia, 14, and 10-year-old Carina. “There’s a 10-year age gap between us, but I wouldn’t rule it out,” Robbie says. “Not right now, maybe in future.”

“I’m always broody,” says Helen. “But my pregnancies have always been hard. I suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum, so I get really terrible sickness. When I was pregnant with Charlie I had such guilt, even now, about not spending enough time with the others because I was poorly. But still, I can’t help but be broody. I love babies.”

It’s clear the pair are very family-oriented and, despite their undeniable love for each other, the kids come first. “Robbie has his kids four times a week, which for me is a huge green flag,” Helen says.

“He’s a great daddy. And our kids all get along so well. Carina and Matilda are the same age and are so cute together, and I consider myself a friend to Sophia, we have great chats. For me, the most romantic thing Robbie could do is be kind to my kids. He tucks them up at night and reads them bedtime stories. To me that means so much more than flowers or chocolates.”

For Helen, the shift from being in a relationship for 13 years to being a single mum of three has been huge, and even now she admits Matilda in particular struggles with not seeing her dad more. Scott plays for Bristol Rovers, hundreds of miles away from Helen’s home in Cheshire. “My ex loves the kids to pieces, but he works away and lives hours away,” she explains. “He sees them all when he has time off and I’m quite happy with our agreement.”

“I much prefer having my children all the time. I really struggle when I’m not with my kids. I have a nanny living with me at the moment, which really works. So if Robbie and I want to go out, or have any time together, we can.” We ask if Robbie and Scott have met yet. “Not yet,” Helen clarifies. “But I’ve got good taste in boyfriends because Scott is a decent guy and so is Robbie, I’m sure they’ll get on when they do.”

But surely co-parenting with Scott gets tricky when new partners come into the picture? “It’s about being sensitive to one another,” Helen says. Robbie agrees. “It all comes down to respect,” he adds.

“Respect boundaries, that’s the most important thing.” It’s obvious Helen and Robbie have a mutual understanding of how they’ll navigate life with their blended families – a far cry from the early days of their relationship when Helen had put herself on a self imposed ‘man ban’.

“When I first met Robbie, I wasn’t supposed to be seeing anyone,” she tells us. “I thought, ‘I’ve never really been single, so I’m gonna work on being single this year and try and be on my own.’ And then I met him!” Robbie recalls their first meeting at a local restaurant. “I saw her when she walked in. I knew who she was and I thought she was stunning,” he says.

“It was all very old-fashioned. I made a joke about a coat my friend was wearing and from there we just got chatting.” Helen had a slightly different first impression. “I thought he was gay,” she laughs.

“He has these really white teeth and was so well dressed and smart and he was with his mate and I just assumed. As soon as we got talking, I realised that wasn’t the case, we exchanged numbers, started messaging and here we are!”

Indeed, it’s been quite the rollercoaster since that fateful meeting eight months ago, not least when Helen dropped the bombshell to her Celebs Go Dating co-stars that she’d been secretly seeing Robbie. The news became a tabloid sensation, with many fans questioning why and how Robbie was OK with Helen kissing other men on dates.

So, what’s the truth behind the headlines? “We met at the end of February and then I signed my contract for the show in March or April,” Helen explains.

“We were dating, but it was early days and I wanted to do the show. It was always what I was going to do, I love the show. I told Robbie I was doing it and he said it was fine. But then things got really intense between us. And in the midst of filming I realised I was really falling for him. And that’s when it became really tough to do. But I’d signed the contract. I found the whole situation incredibly difficult.”

But Helen insists she didn’t feel guilty about dating other men during filming. “I tried to be light-hearted about it, so I didn’t feel guilty. I’m not stupid, I knew I couldn’t go on the show and be a total bore, I had to provide some entertainment and go on dates. But I spoke to Robbie every step of the way.” Robbie agrees that communication was key.

“The most important thing was speaking about it before Helen went on the show,” he said. “You’ve got to remember, putting the show to one side, it was a really new relationship. So when it’s new and you’re messaging and going on the odd date, you don’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to being jealous or expecting exclusivity.

“We weren’t as serious then as we are now. It was fine seeing her go on the dates. If anything, I looked at it as an acting job for her. She’s done kissing scenes in soaps and stuff, so I was totally fine with it all.”

Robbie was soon introduced to Celebs Go Dating so the experts could meet him, and Helen insists that E4 bosses weren’t actually too bothered about the turn of events. “We had a laugh bringing Robbie on,” she says. “There wasn’t really a big problem, despite what people said. Anna Williamson loved Robbie.