Tina O’Brien: ‘I don’t believe in love at first sight – lust maybe’
OCorrie star Tina O’Brien tells us why her rocky onscreen relationship couldn’t be further from her own loved-up state with her new husband, Adam...
n the small screen, her romance is on the rocks (again!), but off camera, Coronation
Street’s Tina O’Brien could not be more content, having tied the knot with fitness industry businessman Adam Crofts on New Year’s Eve. Tina, 35, has grown up with the soap, playing Weatherfield favourite Sarah Platt since she was 16. Her on-screen life has not been without its share of troubles, and last week she threw builder boyfriend Gary Windass out on his ear after he secretly racked up huge debts to a ruthless loan shark.
So, are things happier on the home front for Tina herself? ‘Definitely. I’m not heading for the divorce courts just yet!’ she laughs. The actress, who lives in Manchester with Adam, their fouryear-old son, Beau, and daughter Scarlett, 10, from her previous relationship with former Corrie co-star Ryan Thomas, tells us more about her world… Do you feel different as a married woman, Tina? I didn’t think I would, but I do! I feel really touched that the person I love actually wanted to make that commitment, to say that he’s going to be with me forever. It’s really lovely and it’s brought us closer as well. It was a gorgeous wedding – lovely to have all the people we love in one room. It was everything we wanted it to be. I’m very happy.
Will you be changing your surname?
I’m going to keep O’Brien for work reasons, but I’ll change my surname for everything else when I get around to it.
What’s the secret of a successful relationship?
A good relationship is very much built on trust and communication. Sarah desperately wants that from Gary. I can understand why he kept his financial problems from her, but I think every time he holds back, it knocks another hole in their relationship. Gary is desperate for Sarah to give him another chance, but it remains to be seen whether they can get through it. I think he’s got more belief in their relationship than I have!
Do you believe in love at first sight?
I don’t actually! It’s never happened to me. I do believe in lust at first sight, though. Adam is the first person I got together with in the traditional way – boy meets girl, girl fancies boy, girl hopes boy fancies her, and then they start dating!
Have you changed since you met Adam?
I think we help each other. We are so different, though.
I react first, and he is the opposite. He’s logical and thinks first. I’ve made him talk and open up more about his feelings, and he’ll get me to calm down and think more carefully.
How do you stay in such great shape?
I try to go to the gym, and I enjoy speedskipping, with the same kind of skipping rope a boxer would use. It’s lightweight and spins fast, so you can really get your heart rate up. I also have a kettle bell in my dressing room! If the room’s empty, I try to do a couple of minutes’ skipping. I’d take someone’s eye out if there was anyone else in there!
What do you like to do when you’re not on set?
If I had more time, I’d love to do more yoga, but my working hours are so full-on that picking the kids up from school, dropping them off and doing the food shop is all I can manage. But that feels nice.
Why yoga in particular?
I just love how it makes my mind re-set. You’re concentrating on your breathing and your movement, so for that hour, I’m just in the moment.
What else do you do to switch off from stress?
We have an app we all use at home, called Calm. It has different meditations, such as Seven Days of Calm, Seven Days of Gratitude and Seven Days of Sleep. I listen to that every single day. Scarlett has started using it because she has trouble getting off to sleep, bless her. I have another app – it’s a journal, and you write down three things you’re grateful for that day, and three things you feel you could do better. I try to do it every day.
Would you ever fancy doing Dancing On Ice?
I’ve talked to Jane [ Corrie co-star Jane Danson] about it and I’m absolutely in awe of what she did, but at this stage in my life, I’m so busy, I just wouldn’t want to throw anything else into the mix.
What’s your most treasured possession?
My engagement ring. It’s gold, with a solitaire diamond. I just love it! I must admit, I helped Adam choose it…
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