Helen Flanagan will remain on 'Coronation Street' until the end of the year.
Helen Flanagan
The 26-year-old actress has been slammed with abuse from viewers for her "wooden" depiction of her alter-ego Rosie Webster since she returned to the cobbles last month, but the negative remarks haven't stopped bosses extending the star's contract.
Show boss Kate Oates told The Sun newspaper: "We are thrilled to have Helen back and delighted that she is now going to become a more permanent fixture in Weatherfield. Rosie is a classic 'Coronation Street' comedy character and we are looking forward to seeing more of her antics in the future."
Helen - who bowed out of the long-running soap five years ago in order to pursue other projects - was brought back earlier this year on a three-month contract but is elated that producers have decided to extend her agreement for another nine months.
She said: "I am having so much fun being back here playing Rosie again.
"The writing is hilarious and I am delighted to be staying around."I can't wait to see what Rosie is going to get up to."
And it was actually the brunette beauty's on-screen sister Brooke Vincent - who plays Sophie Webster in the ITV programme - who managed to bag Helen her job as she spoke to Kate about a new storyline just before she left for theatre late last year.
Brooke said: "I had a little bit of a hand in Helen's return. Before I left, I was speaking to Helen and I said: 'You should come back.' And she said: 'Darling I'd love to come back.' So when I was speaking to Kate Oates, who is our producer, before I left [for theatre], I said: 'Do you reckon we could bring Helen back for a bit?'
"And she said: 'Well, I'll see.' And the next thing we're on our way back. It's good, it's nice to have her back. When you've grown up with somebody and they are pretty much like your sister, to be back together you reminisce on all the times you've had together. You remember why you were friends in the first place. She's lovely and I love her so much. It's nice to have a laugh with her again."
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