Helen Flanagan was meant to be 'single' for a year before meeting new boyfriend

Helen Flanagan was determined to be single for a year when she met her boyfriend.

The former 'Coronation Street' actress caused a stir on 'Celebs Go Dating' when she revealed she had fallen for Robbie Talbot, who she met away from the E4 show before filming got underway when she was planning a relationship detox.

She told OK! magazine: "When I first met Robbie, I wasn't supposed to be seeing anyone.

"I thought, 'I've never really been single, so I'm gonna work on being single this year and try and be on my own.' And then I met him!'"

The 34-year-old star met Robbie after he saw her walking into a local restaurant, and immediately knew who she was from her television career.

However, she was impressed that he "had the balls" to talk to her, instead of being intimidated.

She said: "I've never met anyone like him. He's not only a lovely man, but he's really, really funny.

"And he had the balls to chat me up! Usually I don't get that, but he has so much confidence. And he really takes care of me."

Robbie explained that they "weren't serious" at the time she signed up for the show, they made sure to communicate "the whole way through", while he saw it as one of her acting roles.

Helen recalled: "We met at the end of February and then I signed my contract for the show in March or April. We were dating, but it was early days and I wanted to do the show.

"I told Robbie I was doing it and he said it was fine. But then things got really intense between us.

"And in the midst of filming I realised I was really falling for him. And that's when it became tough to do. But I signed the contract. I found the whole situation incredibly difficult."

Thankfully, Helen revealed it wasn't a "big problem" on the show, even with the backlash from fans over the shocking news.

She recalled: "We had a laugh bringing Robbie on. There wasn't really a big problem, despite what people said. Anna Williamson loved Robbie.

"I think the whole thing turned out to be really funny. Watching Robbie being dragged on to a show like that... it's so different to his everyday life.

"He's not into photoshoots or reality TV."