The actress stressed it was a ‘big deal’ for her to be away from her babies. (Picture: ITV/Instagram)
I’m a Celebrity… South Africa star Helen Flanagan was left crying over the thought of her then-one-year-old son while speaking on tonight’s episode, as she strove to do her children proud in a grotesque challenge.
On Thursday’s instalment of the ITV competition, Coronation Street star Helen, 32, went up against former royal butler Paul Burrell, 64, in a bid to win their respective teams a luxury picnic.
Having struggled to overcome her fears the last time that she was on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2012, the actress was keen to prove herself, prompting EastEnders legend Dean Gaffney, 45, to select her for the task.
Before heading over to trial area, she received a motivational pep talk from her teammate Myleene Klass, 45, who told her: ‘It’s all in your head. Everything’s in your head. Nothing’s going to hurt you.’
The musician then added: ‘Also, there’s a superpower that you’ve got behind you – that’s your children. No bigger power. Every day they make us proud, but this time around you’ll get to make them proud,’ before the pair shared a big hug.
Helen has three children with her ex-fiancé, Bristol Rovers footballer Scott Sinclair. The former couple, who split in July 2022, have two daughters and a son, who was born in March 2021.
Myleene gave Helen some much-needed words of encouragement (Picture: ITV)
Helen and Scott were together for more than a decade (Picture: Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage)
At the time that Helen took part in I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, her little boy was only one. He’s now two years old.
Speaking in the Bush Telegraph, she explained how ‘big a deal’ it was for her to have participated in the show in the first place, because she’s ‘never away from my babies’.
‘My little boy’s only one. And he’s so cute,’ she said, before breaking down in tears.
‘He’s so cute. And I’ve got my four-year-old, and I’ve got my seven-year-old.’
Helen acknowledged that it was ‘strange’ to be apart from them, as she’s usually with her kids ‘all the time’, but it was fuelling her even more to head out to the trial and ‘really give it a good go’.
That fire in her belly ended up doing her a whole lot of good, as she beat Paul and managed to secure her team a swanky picnic, much to the other group’s dismay.
In March this year, Helen celebrated her son’s second birthday by sharing a picture of him on Instagram, which was taken the day after he was born.
‘Happy 2nd birthday to my dream boy my Prince Charlie ☁️🤍✨no words for how much I love you ✨ going to treasure you being 2 💙,’ she wrote in the caption.
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Helen made her debut on Coronation Street in 2000 playing the role of Rosie Webster, who she portrayed until 2012.
She then reprised the part in 2017 for one more year, before leaving again in 2018.
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa returns tomorrow at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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The actress stressed it was a ‘big deal’ for her to be away from her babies.