After years of reported tension, Coronation Street exes Tina O’Brien and Ryan Thomas appear to be calling a truce — and it’s all for one powerful reason: launching their teenage daughter Scarlett into the spotlight.
The former couple, once one of Corrie’s golden real-life romances, split back in 2009. Since then, their relationship has been plagued by rumours of clashes over co-parenting and awkward absences from family celebrations. But insiders now claim that Scarlett’s rising star potential is bringing them closer than they’ve been in years.
An exclusive source told New! that 16-year-old Scarlett — who made her acting debut in Waterloo Road — is already showing signs of becoming a £2 million star, with hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers and millions of likes to her name.
“Ryan and Tina have had their rows over the years,” the insider said, “but they are now joining forces and pulling out all the stops. They can see Scarlett is going to be a superstar — she’s stunning, talented and her TikTok is going through the roof.”
The source even suggested Hollywood could be the ultimate goal.
“They want her to go to America. They see this as being bigger than Corrie — it’s the one thing they finally agree on.”
Ryan, now 40 and engaged to former TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh, was visibly emotional after Scarlett’s first TV appearance, writing online: “Talk about a proud moment for the Thomases!”
Celebrity publicist Edward Hopkins also believes Scarlett is perfectly placed for long-term success.
“She has all the right ingredients — a strong acting debut, a growing TikTok presence and a supportive showbiz family,” he said. “Brand deals, TV roles, red-carpet moments and even launching her own line are realistic. If she plays it right, a £2 million career is absolutely achievable.”
Scarlett was born in 2008, during the height of Tina and Ryan’s romance, after the pair met on Coronation Street as Sarah-Louise Platt and Jason Grimshaw. But the relationship collapsed just a year later, and for more than a decade the exes were said to struggle with co-parenting.
Now, however, things appear different. Scarlett’s role as schoolgirl Izzy Charles on Waterloo Road — with her on-screen dad played by her real-life uncle Adam Thomas — has given her instant visibility, while viral videos of her singing have even led fans to call her a “real-life Disney princess.”
Ryan has previously admitted watching Scarlett grow up hasn’t been easy, posting on her 16th birthday: “Not easy seeing you grow up, but I’m here for all of it!”
The wider Thomas-O’Brien clan is firmly behind her too, with uncle Adam Thomas vowing to help open doors for his niece and saying the family “love being the centre of attention.”
And Tina’s bond with Scarlett is just as strong, with the mother-daughter duo regularly sharing holiday snaps and behind-the-scenes moments online.
After years of frostiness, it seems Scarlett’s rise is finally uniting her famous parents — and this time, the mission is bigger than their past.
