Friday, 6 February 2009

Tina O'Brien: I'm ready to work

Former Coronation Street star adores motherhood, but wants to act

Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas are parents to new daughter Scarlett

Tina O'Brien is loving being a mum to her little girl Scarlett, but she’s chomping at the bit to get back to work.

'She remembers the camaraderie of Coronation Street,’ a friend tells NOW .

What makes it worse for Tina is that her partner Ryan Thomas, Scarlett’s dad, is still in the soap.

‘Tina gets a bit envious of the other girls on set at times,’ adds the friend. ‘Ryan will go out with his co-stars after work and have a few drinks while she’s stuck at home. Tina goes occasionally, but there’s no doubt it’s a massive change from her previous life.’

Tina, 25, left Coronation Street in December 2007 after being in the show for eight years.

As a glamorous favourite in one of the nation's top soaps, she could command up to £10,000 for photo shoots in tabloid newspapers and men's magazines.

But the happy discovery of her pregnancy halted this lucrative sideline.

‘Tina misses the glamorous side of that,’ says her friend. ‘She feels quite frumpy now. It’s not to say that won’t happen again – Tina’s been steadily losing the baby weight, but Scarlett was only born in October.

‘The two of them dote on Scarlett and, as she gets older, there’ll be more time for Tina to look at her options.’

See the full story about Tina O'Brien in Now magazine dated 9 Feburary 2009 - out now!