The mum of three has jetted off to Lake Como to celebrate her 36th birthday.
Helen was going to take Matilda but couldn’t because of the passport drama(Image: @hjgflanagan/Instagram)
Corrie star Helen Flanagan has come under fire after joking about taking just one of her three children on holiday following a passport mishap. The actress, 36, had been planning a trip to Lake Como with her eldest daughter Matilda, 11, but discovered shortly before they were due to travel that the youngster’s passport needed renewing.
Helen previously revealed she had desperately tried to secure an emergency passport for Matilda but was unable to get one in time, leaving her daughter in tears.
However, the actress has revealed the holiday is still going ahead – with her eight-year-old daughter Delilah joining her instead.
Taking to social media, Helen shared a playful video of herself and Delilah having a drink at the airport as they celebrated being able to jet away together.
The mum-of-three, who also shares five-year-old Charlie with ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair, wrote over the clip: “When your brother and sister’s passport is out of date but yours isn’t.”
Helen could be seen laughing with her daughter in the video while dressed in a black crop top with her hair still in curlers ahead of their flight.
However, the light-hearted post didn’t go down well with everyone, with some followers questioning why Helen had decided to continue with the holiday after Matilda’s disappointment.
One person wrote: “Imagine being so selfish that you abandon two-thirds of your kids to go on holiday, and then make a jokey post about it…..”
Another asked: “Why didn’t you put the holiday on hold until ya got the other two passports sorted out?”
While a third commented: “Sorry I hope you have a lovely trip but I don’t think I could take my other daughter if the other had missed out through no fault of their own.”
The criticism comes after Helen shared her heartbreak over failing to get Matilda’s passport sorted in time for the trip.
She explained earlier this week: “So I went down to Scotland, I fly to Lake Como on Thursday, to try to get Matilda an emergency passport and we’ve not been able to get one.”
Turning to her upset daughter, Helen added: “I just thought I’d try it because it says a week, but you never know.
“Mummy tried her best, didn’t she? Mummy has tried. Love you.”
She later revealed just how disappointed Matilda had been, writing: “My little girls cried on my shoulder, she was so looking forward to our trip.”
The pair had enjoyed a mother-and-daughter holiday to Lake Como last year, with Helen previously speaking about enjoying the opportunity to spend quality time alone with her eldest.
While adults can potentially obtain replacement passports through the Passport Office’s one-day premium service, the option isn’t available for children under 16.
The quickest option for a child’s new or replacement passport is instead the one-week Fast Track service, which requires an appointment and is subject to availability.
Helen shares all three of her children with former footballer Scott, whom she split from in 2022 after 13 years together.
The soap star has recently spoken about her hopes for her own romantic future, admitting she believes her next serious relationship could lead to marriage.
Speaking on Lewis Nicholls’ Life Stories podcast, Helen said: “My next relationship I have I think will be my husband, because I won’t be wasting my time, really.”
She also vowed to keep any future romance more private, explaining that she would want to “protect” the relationship from outside scrutiny.
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