By Jessica Boulton

Copyright mirror

She might look pretty in pink, but make no mistake: Helen Flanagan isn’t afraid to tell the ugly truth. For the former Coronation Street star and mum-of-three has announced she’s writing a no-holds-barred tell-all – and last night vowed to reveal all, with no “airbrushing” of what really happened. She says it’s vital for her to show the person she really is – not the one we first saw on our screens as the 10-year-old face of Weatherfield’s Rosie Webster . “I’ve made mistakes, I’ve been hurt and I’ve had to rebuild from rock bottom, but I’ve also learned, grown and come out the other side a better, stronger person,” she said. “Telling my truth meant no hiding – no glossing over or airbrushing.” The actress joined Corrie as Rosie in 2000 and stayed for 12 years, before going on to become a lads’ mag favourite in the early 2010s and has never left the limelight since. But, as she poses for a new exclusive shoot (below) ahead of her new book , she admits not everything has been easy over the years. In 2022, she had a very public split with Bristol Rovers footballer Scott Sinclair – her ex-fiance and father of her children. She has also faced struggles with her mental health and in early 2024, suffered a breakdown followed by a brief period of psychosis due to a bad reaction to medication. Now diagnosed with ADHD, Helen , who lives in Bolton, has also faced money troubles and, earlier this year, was banned from driving for six months after twice failing to disclose the identity of the person behind the wheel of her car when it was caught speeding. It’s a lot for anyone to have been through. But having seen the good and bad side of fame since she was a child, she’s now excited people will be able to hear her story in her own words when the book Head And Heart: Break-ups, Breakdowns and Being Rosie , is released next January. “Sitting down to write about my life and all its ups and downs was a daunting task. I was going to have to revisit painful times, digging deep into experiences I’d have much rather left buried in the past,” she said. “But I knew if I was going to do it justice, it would mean laying everything out there.” The book is one of the latest releases from Mirror Books, following the likes of Amanda Barrie’s I’m Still Here and EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison’s Behind the Scenes , which were both released last month. Helen dated footballer Scott on and off for 13 years and are still devoted co-parents to Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and three-year-old Charlie . Helen previously said they split because they no longer ‘liked each other’ – although it was unclear why. Last year it was revealed Scott was dating an old family friend Lauren Davies, 34, and had been for “several months”. Helen meanwhile began dating ex-Ashton United footballer Robbie Talbot , 45, but they were said to have split earlier this year when he couldn’t commit to living together full time. Mirror Books Commissioning Editor Clare Fitzsimons says: “Helen Flanagan has grown up in the public eye, having played Rosie in Corrie for 12 years, and documents her life to her million plus followers on instagram. But for the first time Helen will share her full unedited story, from truly difficult struggles to fighting back for her beautiful family. We’re thrilled to be releasing Helen’s powerful, frank and moving memoir.”