plots

JUST two weeks ago, Tina O’Brien was waxing lyrical about going on her first solo holiday as she embraced single life for the first time in years.

It turned out to be rather short-lived, though, as yesterday the Corrie star was spotted kissing a hunky new man in the street.  Now, insiders tell us why her latest fling – with Irish TikToker Rory Martin – has sparked concern amongst her inner circle, who fear her new beau might have an ulterior motive.

Our insider said: “Tina was genuinely trying to enjoy some time on her own after her recent split, but she has really fallen for Rory’s Irish charm. 

“Rory is no stranger to hanging out with famous women – he was linked to Una Healey last year and has gained a bit of a reputation for being a ladies’ man.

“He loves TikTok fame and will really be enjoying the attention he’ll be getting off the back of dating Tina.

“It’s worrying for her friends, because they don’t want to feel like she is being used.

“Tina is someone who loves love and enjoys being caught up in the whirlwind of it all, and they just don’t want her to rush into anything.”

While her last ex, Adam Fadle, disliked the limelight, Rory, in contrast, is said to be very taken with her high profile.

We’re told Tina now lives in a very well-known area where paps often frequent, so it’s unlikely to have come as a surprise to her that they were photographed.

It’s thought Tina, 42, actually met Rory, 30,  through her daughter, 17-year-old Scarlett, who she shares with ex Ryan Thomas. 

They are said to have connected through the music world. Rory also dabbles in singing and guitar playing, as well as doing social media.

He also works for the ambulance service – but is believed to be in the call centre rather than working as a paramedic, as his social media would suggest.

Our source continued: “People think Rory is some kind of sexy paramedic, but the reality is much less glamorous.

“He really plays up to it in his social media because he knows his thirst traps in his uniform attract both women and men to him.”

Last June, Rory surprised fans by posting a video of him singing with Saturday’s star Una in a kitchen.

We’re told the pair were casually dating for some time and really enjoyed making music together. 

Tina’s new romance comes seven months on from her splitting from her millionaire boyfriend Adam Fadle, whom she met in Cheshire following her move there.

The actress, who is known for playing Sarah Platt on the Cobbles, is thought to have been single since her split from millionaire businessman Adam.

At the time, we revealed that it was interior designer Adam who ended things with the star. Rather than being taken with her glam life in the public eye, we’re told it ended up being a huge turn-off for him.

Our insider said: “He was the one who wanted out and ended it. In a brutal swipe, he said it ended up being like something out of a Coronation Street storyline.”

That relationship was hot on the heels of the end of her marriage to personal trainer Adam Crofts. They got together just four months after it ended. 

Tina and Adam Crofts were married for six years and share a son, Beau, together.

Tina also, of course, has her daughter from her relationship with her former Corrie co-star Ryan Thomas.

Her romance with Ryan lasted from 2003 to 2009, with the pair’s very public split fraught and involving a number of public spats. 

Most recently, the pair have been navigating their daughter’s burgeoning singing and social media career together. 

While Ryan has fully embraced that world, Tina’s had a love-hate relationship with social media over the years, vowing to take a break from Instagram in 2020 after calling the site “toxic” and admitting she felt like a “fraud” trying to present a “filtered version” of her life to gain validation. 

But six years on, things are completely different, and she has big plans for the future after signing up to an agency – Alpha Talent Group – which will be helping her land a series of brand partnerships.

Alpha already has a string of celebrity clients. They look after boxer Tommy Fury, The Wanted star Max George, Made in Chelsea’s Miles Nazaire, and Love Island stars Paige Turley, Helena Ford, and twins Eve and Jess Gale.

While Tina is set to branch out on socials, fans shouldn’t expect to see her all over TikTok, like Scarlett and her dad Ryan and his brothers Adam and Scott Thomas are.

Our source previously explained: “She won’t be doing cringe TikTok trends, but there are some exciting brand deals on the horizon.

“And don’t be surprised if she steps out of her comfort zone and does some reality TV – she did Strictly over a decade ago and feels like she wants the public to see her personality.”

And dating another social media star, who has half a million followers on TikTok, is probably not a bad place to start. 

US-based investment firm Castlelake confirmed it is in the ‘early stages’ of weighing up a potential takeover offer for budget airline easyJet following recent speculation

A major investment firm has issued a statement and said it is considering a possible takeover bid for easyJet.

US-based Castlelake confirmed it is in the “early stages” of weighing up a potential offer for the budget airline following recent speculation.

The company stressed that “no approach has been made to the Board of easyJet” and warned there was “no certainty” that a bid would actually happen. Under takeover rules, Castlelake now has until June 26 to either announce a firm intention to make an offer or walk away.

The development comes just days after easyJet insisted it still plans to operate its full summer schedule despite fears over aviation fuel supplies linked to the Iran war.

EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis said the airline had seen “absolutely no issues with fuel supply” at airports across the UK and Europe.

He told the BBC Today programme: “We’ve seen absolutely no issues with fuel supply at any of our airports in the UK, across Europe, or indeed beyond. We stay in very close contact with our fuel suppliers, airports, governments, and they are equally raising no issues looking forward.

“What is true is obviously there’s a lot less oil coming from the Gulf region, but fuel suppliers have successfully diversified with production increased in Norway, in West Africa, in the Americas. Refining capacity for jet fuel has also increased substantially outside of the Gulf region.”

The airline recently reported losses of £552 million for the first half of its financial year – a 40% increase compared with the previous year. Despite the losses, easyJet said demand for the summer holidays remains strong, with travellers continuing to book trips closer to departure dates.

Mr Jarvis said: “Demand seems to be very strong in what we call the late market. As we ran through April, demand was very strong for the month of April. We’re seeing it again in May.

“But as you look further out, people are more cautious. People are waiting and watching, but they are booking as as you approach, and I expect that strong late booking market to run through the summer.”

The airline has also faced disruption linked to the EU’s new biometric border checks. Mr Jarvis described delays caused by the entry-exit system as “completely unacceptable”.

“I’d encourage all the European countries is to use the flexibility that’s been given to them by the European Commission, that they can phase the introduction of this if they see queues in peak times,” he said.

“They can go back to normal border force control with stamping of passports, so they should use this.”