Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan has stated that she’s more than ready to step back into the role of Rosie Webster – she’s just waiting for a call.
Helen began playing the role of Kevin and Sally Webster (Michael Le Vell and Sally Dynevor)’s elder daughter in 2000 when she was only nine years old. As the years went on Rosie became something of a troubled teen.
Her pursuit of teacher John Stape (Graeme Hawley) memorably culminated in Stape keeping her captive in his late grandmother’s house as punishment for wrecking his relationship with Fiz (Jennie McAlpine). She finally left Weatherfield in 2018 for a career in TV.
For Helen, her exit coincided with maternity leave, but she also wanted to pursue other projects. Since her departure from Corrie she’s become a reality TV star, appearing in I’m a Celebrity… South Africa, Celebs Go Dating and she’s just finished filming Celebrity Ex On The Beach.
‘I loved that. I had literally the best summer,’ she told The Sun, speaking about Celebs Go Dating. However, her first love is acting and she insists that being a reality TV star shouldn’t be a barrier to getting acting roles.
‘I feel like if you can do reality TV or modelling, it doesn’t make you any less of an actress. It doesn’t affect your acting talent. I think sometimes it’s silly when there’s that thing that you think, “Oh, well, if you’re an actress, you don’t do this.” That’s ridiculous.’
Helen has three children, Matilda (10), Delilah (7) and Charlie (4) and is looking forward to them going to see her this year in panto in Liverpool, where she’s playing the Wicked Queen in Snow White.
Following this she’ll take up a role in The Memory Of Water at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, alongside other former Corrie stars Vicky Binns and Charlie De Melo.
‘It’s the perfect part for me. The cast is amazing,’ Helen said. ‘I’m just so looking forward to it. I’s a really good start to the year.’
So there’s a busy time ahead for her, but the part that Helen would love to return to is the one that made her name – Rosie Webster.
‘I’d love to go back to Coronation Street, but they just haven’t asked me,’ she revealed.
‘I live around the corner, but they just haven’t asked me.’
Rosie’s dad Kevin could probably do with a visit from his elder daughter.
His life is currently in tatters following the break-up of his marriage with Abi (Sally Carman), who has been having an affair with Rosie’s Uncle Carl (Jonathan Howard). Meanwhile Aunt Debbie (Sue Devaney) is dealing with dementia. Could the famously selfish Rosie be any comfort to her struggling family?
It looks like Corrie’s bosses have no plans to offer an answer to this question, as Helen hasn’t heard anything from them about a potential return.
‘I’d love to, if they asked me,’ she reiterated. ‘I’d come back, but they obviously haven’t.’
