Who is Tina O'Brien and how many kids does the Corrie star have with ex Ryan Thomas?

28 August 2019, 11:13 | Updated: 28 August 2019, 13:57

Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas were together for six years
Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas were together for six years. Picture: Instagram/PA Images
Naomi Bartram

By Naomi Bartram

Ryan Thomas and Tina O'Brien have remained friends following their split in 2009 - here's everything you need to know about their romance.

Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas recently announced that he’s expecting his first baby with fiancée Lucy Mecklenburgh.

The newly engaged couple later shared an adorable video where they told Ryan’s daughter Scarlett, 10, the happy news and she burst into tears of joy.

Ryan, 35, shares Scarlett with ex-girlfriend and former Corrie co-star Tina O’Brien - here’s everything you need to know about their relationship…

Who is Tina O’Brien?

Tina is 36-years-old and was born in Manchester.

She's best known for her role as Sarah Platt in Coronation Street, which she first joined at the age of 15 in 1999. After leaving in 2007, the star returned in 2015 and has been a regular ever since.

Read More: Take a look inside Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien's cosy family home in Manchester

The actress also played Bex Fisher in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road from 2010 to 2011 and starred on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010

When did Tina and Ryan Thomas get together?

Tina and Ryan started dating in 2003, soon after she split from their Coronation Street co-star Bruno Langley, who played his character Jason's on-screen brother Todd.

Tina and Ryan's Corrie character's got married
Tina and Ryan's Corrie character's got married. Picture: PA Images

While the couple never got married themselves, their characters Sarah-Louise and Jason ended up tying the know on-screen in October 2007, but their brief marriage broke down just months later.

Read More: Ryan Thomas’ ex Tina O’Brien shares cryptic quote following Lucy Mecklenburgh’s pregnancy announcement

How many children do they have?

The former couple have one child together - Scarlett Jacqueline Thomas - who was born at Manchester General Hospital on 26 October 2008.

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When did Tina and Ryan split?

The couple broke up in 2009, a year after their daughter was born. Tina has previously opened up about the break-up, admitting she was ‘heartbroken’ when Ryan said he no longer loved her.

Tina told new! magazine in 2010 that the couple had been struggling for a while after Scarlett's birth, as she admitted: "He said I didn't do it for him any more. Those were his words.

"I was absolutely devastated. He said he didn't want the responsibility of a relationship with me."

Despite the shock split, Ryan and Tina have managed to stay friends.

Tina married husband Adam Crofts in 2018 after seven years together and the couple now have a five-year-old son called Beau.

Ryan has also moved on with TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh, with the pair set to become parents early next year.

Speaking about her relationship with Ryan, Tina recently admitted they have learnt to get on for the sake of Scarlett.

She said: “It’s taken a lot of years and a lot of biting my tongue. Seriously, though, it’s mainly down to Adam and Ryan.

“It helps that everyone has moved on and is in a happy place. Ryan is really happy and we are happy, so there aren’t any issues.

“For the sake of Scarlett, it has been well worth preserving [our relationship] and choosing our battles.”

Tina also invited Ryan to her wedding on New Year’s Eve last year, and is said to have bonded with Lucy.