Coronation Street legend Helen Flanagan has addressed her brief romance with former I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here co-star David Haye, amid ‘throuple’ claims

View 3 Images

David and Helen met on I’m A Celb in 2012(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Helen Flanagan has emotionally addressed her whirlwind romance with David Haye and firmly dismissed speculation about “throuple” involvement.

The former Coronation Street star, 35, enjoyed a short-lived relationship with the boxer, 45, who practices polyamory, three years back, but she’s now determined to clarify what really happened.

The pair first crossed paths on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in 2012. Yet their connection didn’t blossom romantically until over a decade later.

Things kicked off when David, who maintains an open relationship with Sian Osbourne, extended an invitation to Helen to accompany him and his partner to a boxing event at Wembley.

View 3 Images

Helen has spoken out on her time with David(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In her newly released memoir, Head and Heart, she acknowledges being aware that the couple are associated with “throuples”.

Nevertheless, despite proceeding with a romance with David, she clarifies in the publication: “I’m not a prude, but I’ve never been into that – it was David I liked.”

During a recent interview promoting the book, Helen elaborated on her connection with her former jungle companion.

“The relationship that I had with David was just David on his own,” the actress explained. “My evenings were just spent with him, that’s what only ever happened.”

When pushed on whether she’d ever been in a “throuple” with David and Sian, she firmly responded: “No, no, no, not at all,” she told The Mail.

In her bombshell new memoir, Helen recounts purchasing a Cartier Trinity bracelet for David’s birthday and personally delivering it to his hotel room. When The Mail quizzed her about this gesture, she became visibly emotional.

“Did I put that in the book? Oh, god, that actually makes me cry,” the devastated star confessed. “I don’t know. Sorry. It’s really hard. That is a little bit embarrassing.”

Reflecting on her bhaviour, Helen questioned: “Why did I do that? Because I wanted him to love me properly.”

Still tearful, the soap actress acknowledged: “It was such a toxic situation. Since then, I’ve learnt to love myself. To be a stronger woman.”

David and Helen ended their romance in December 2023. Helen has consistently emphasised that she was never part of a “throuple” with David and his partner Sian. She’d previously described it as a “situationship” instead.

During her stint on Celebs Go Dating in 2024, she told the programme’s relationship experts: “It was quite something, it’s really hard for me to talk about it he had a girlfriend and an open relationship.

“I didn’t mean to fall in love with him but I did. We did have this amazing connection together. We were like fire together. It was weird. I think he does love his girlfriend but he loves me as well,” she continued. “It just brings me to a part of my life that was quite dark, really.”

Helen revealed that following her break up from long-term partner Scott, she experienced profound loneliness, taking over nine months before she felt ready to date again.

She firmly dismissed suggestions that she was involved in a “throuple” with David, making it clear that such an arrangement “wasn’t for her”.

However, Helen avoided labelling her connection with David as a full relationship, instead describing it as a “situationship”.

“I was in love with the man,” she said. “I wouldn’t have enjoyed watching the man I was in love with having sex with another woman. That’s not for me.”

During her appearance on Celebs Go Dating, Helen became emotional as she confessed to feeling “guilty” about David’s girlfriend Sian.

“I didn’t feel nice about it,” she said. “At all It makes me feel really bad and really upsets me because I’m a nice girl, I don’t mean to hurt people, and I felt really, really bad about it.”

View 3 Images

Helen opened up on Celebs Go Dating about her situationship with David(Image: Channel 4)

Becoming tearful, Helen continued: “I felt really guilty about it, but I was just really lonely. I found it really hard, you know?”.

“I found it really difficult, but obviously, if you sleep with someone for quite a long time you do fall in love with them, and I was just lonely and it just happened.”

Helen remains unattached following her separation from boyfriend Robbie Talbot last year.

Article continues below

She’s devoted to raising her three beautiful children, whom she co-parents with ex-partner Scott.

The pair were in a relationship for 13 years before going their separate ways four years ago.