“A pretty picture doesn’t really say much.”

Coronation Street star Ruxandra Porojnicu has opened up about her love life as a “hopeless romantic”.

Porojnicu played Alina Pop on the soap, but departed in 2021 when Alina’s romance with Tyrone Dobbs ended in heartbreak. Recent episodes have seen Alina return to the cobbles with her secret son Dorin, whilst trying to avoid Tyrone.

Speaking to The Sun, the actor revealed that her character isn’t the only one struggling with relationships.

“I believe in fairytales, I think that’s why I’m still single,” she explained. “Men do slide into my DMs. But I’m more of a romantic person and would love to meet someone in real life when out and about or in a coffee shop.”

“I’ve been single for the last few years. I’m a hopeless romantic and hope to find true love one day,” she added.

Taking matters into her own hands, Porojnicu said she “tried the dating apps once”, but decided they’re “not really my cup of tea”.

“A pretty picture doesn’t really say much. You need to see the person’s personality, how they think and their attitude. That’s the whole package, not just perfect looks.”

Socialising has proven challenging for Porojnicu, who described herself as a “very career-driven person”. However, she isn’t picky about her potential partner’s job.

“I like it more when it happens organically. You go to a coffee shop and you see a guy, he sees you and it just happens like that.

“They can be from any industry as long as they are nice, we connect and he’s a beautiful person inside and out,” she said.

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.