How Helen Flanagan’s ‘amicable’ split from Scott Sinclair turned nuclear

WHEN Helen Flanagan and Scott Sinclair split after 13 years, they vowed to keep things amicable for the sake of their young kids.
But it was not long before the dynamic of the celebrity couple’s co-parenting soon began to show signs of strain.
The former Corrie actress blamed petty squabbles and communication issues, yet still remained tight-lipped about her ex.
But overnight, tensions between the pair appear to have hit DEFCON 1.
Helen, 35, flipped her lid when she spotted photos of Scott, 36, living the high life at the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, skipping their four-year-old son’s Christmas nativity play.
Lashing out online at the retired Bristol Rovers footballer, she raged: “You really are a piece of s**t,” sharing Scott’s Instagram post.
“How dare you not turn up to Charlie’s nativity,” she added.
Scott had posted snaps from his VIP weekend in the United Arab Emirates where he watched Lando Norris secure his maiden Drivers’ Championship title.
Standing in front of a huge F1 sign, he posed gleefully, tagging the post “What a weekend — Abu Dhabi F1.” He added: “Happy Days, blurry nights.”
Meanwhile, Helen shared a sweet snap of her cuddling their young son, captioning it: “Loved Charlie’s nativity. My star, my heartbeat.”
But when she spotted Scott’s jet- setting post, her blood boiled.
Now sources have told The Sun that Helen’s ex’s decision to skip Charlie’s school performance was just the tip of the iceberg — a culmination of bad behaviour that has left the telly star fuming.
The former couple share daughters Matilda, ten, Delilah, seven, and four-year-old son Charlie.
Yesterday Helen was spotted looking stony-faced while heading to her latest panto performance in Liverpool, where she is starring as The Wicked Queen in a production of Snow White.
A pal told The Sun: “Helen’s livid with Scott’s behaviour. He’s thinking about himself, not his children.
“She said, ‘I’m done letting him treat his family like this’. At the end of the day Helen is the mother of his kids. He needs to show more respect.”
Another pal said: “Helen is working full-time at the moment in panto so was expecting Scott to cover the nativity and go for her, as she has a lot on her plate and he is retired.
“When he didn’t bother, she wasn’t happy and took to her social media to vent her frustration and make a point.
“Their relationship is difficult at times — co-parenting is hard.”
Boys’ trips
Meanwhile another source close to the couple blames newly single Scott for embracing his “Hot Boy Winter” moment, leaving his family to suffer.
“Ever since Scott became single again things started to go downhill,” the source said.
“It’s been an incredibly testing few months for Helen, who feels like she is busting a gut and Scott doesn’t seem to get it.
“To make matters worse he is having the children for Christmas this year, which is another blow.”
Last year The Sun told how Scott was dating family friend Lauren Davies, 32, who is from his home city of Bath.
Things were going well up until the start of this year, when they are said to have decided they were better off as friends.
The source said: “Helen really liked Lauren and thought she was really good for Scotty.
You really are a piece of s***. How dare you not turn up to Charlie’s nativity
Helen on Instagram
“She has great values and felt it was important that Scott sees his kids and she wanted everyone to get along.
“But since their split, Scott hasn’t been present. He is constantly showing off his wealth online — with his extravagant boys’ trips. It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth.”
According to pals, tensions between Helen and Scott are so bad that the pair have blocked each other on WhatsApp, only communicating through family members.
The Sun also understands Scott wants to sell the £1.5million family home near Bolton and move Helen and the kids into a smaller property.
The eight-bedroom house went on the market in June, but Helen is standing firm. One pal said: “Scott is trying to sell the family home, but Helen has moved six times since Matilda was born.
“And because she is refusing to uproot the children, he’s stopped some of the money he was giving her for the kids. She’s fuming.
“The house is right next to her mum and dad, who take care of the kids while Helen works.
“Scott’s retired so he could have them, but he’s swanning around in Dubai and London and flashing it all over Instagram.
“At the same time he is claiming he can’t afford to give her the money, but he goes and blows £20,000 on the F1.”
Helen’s livid with Scott’s behaviour. He’s thinking about himself, not his children
A pal
The pal said Christmas will be particularly hard for Helen without her kids.
They said: “She is working full-time at the panto and dealing with the kids, with no help from Scott.
“Then he’ll have them at Christmas and post it all over Instagram, claiming to be dad of the year. He’s picking and choosing when he wants to help, but parenting doesn’t work like that.
“Helen has supported him for his whole football career and moved all over the country, but she’s adamant that she doesn’t want to uproot the kids and cause more disruption in their lives.”
This comes after Helen signed up to star in reality TV show Celebrity Ex On The Beach, in which she intends to “cause fireworks”.
Last month we revealed she was abroad filming scenes — and will not be holding back when it comes to getting what she wants.
Number blocked
It is not the first time the couple’s co-parenting relation- ship has been tested, with Helen previously saying Scott had her number blocked on his phone.
In October 2024 she told a podcast: “I’m on block at the moment on Scott’s phone. I really am. I’m on block.” However, she later said that the couple were on speaking terms so that they could co-parent their brood.
To make matters worse he is having the children for Christmas this year, which is another blow
Source
But in recent months things appear to have taken a turn again, as Helen hinted at trouble.
Earlier this month she told The Sun: “He lives in Somerset and I live in Lancashire. So we live so far away from each other, which is really difficult when you’ve got three young children.
“I hate calling it co-parenting because I don’t really feel like a co-parent, to be honest with you.”
Reflecting on their split in 2024, Helen told The Sun: “It was a mutual decision and personally, I felt as a mum that this was the best thing for my children.
“I want them to see healthy relationships and to be in healthy environments. I think if you’re unhappy then that projects on to them.”
She added: “I love Scott and I know that he loves me, but I suppose we just don’t like each other very much at the moment.
“We don’t really speak and there’s no point in pretending that we’re the best of friends when we’re not.”
Both Helen and Scott were approached for comment.