Alan Halsall has been a “proud” dad this week after his daughter attended a school leaving disco and played the role of Oliver in a stage production of the hit musical at her school. The Coronation Street actor has been a regular cast member since joining as Tyrone Dobbs in 1998.
The actor shares daughter Sienna-Rae with his ex-wife and former co-star Lucy-Jo Hudson. Their marriage lasted almost a decade, tying the knot back in 2009 and parting ways in 2018.
The family updates come just a month after Alan went public with his new partner. The soap star confirmed a romance with HR coordinator Ellie Dolan last year.
On Instagram, Alan shared a picture of Sienna-Rae wearing a black dress and holding a silver clutch bag. In a photo of the two together, with the TV star wearing sunglasses indoors, a caption read “Glasses may or may not be to hide ears!”
The message continued: “My sweet girl, I can’t believe how quickly you’ve grown – so beautiful, inside and out. Watching you become the amazing young person you are today fills my heart with pride. You’ll always be my little girl, and I’m so proud of everything you are becoming.”
Over the weekend, a photo shared by Alan showed the two smiling for the camera with Alan’s arm around his daughter as she dressed as Oliver. Alan was vocal about the strong bond with his daughter when he appeared on the latest series of I’m a Celebrity last year.
When in the jungle, Alan would do a secret gesture to his daughter back home. Andy Whyment, known for his role as Corrie’s Kirk Sutherland revealed: “The only time you know when the camera is on you is when Ant and Dec are saying who’s doing the trial. So every time they say Alan, he always goes like that [makes heart shape with hands] which is just a sign to Sienna [his daughter].”
He added: “Sienna is the only thing that really really gets him emotional and I know he’s really missing her so that’s why every time they say ‘Alan, it’s not you’, he’s doing that as a sign so that Sienna knows that he’s thinking of her.”
Alan and his ex-wife have marked several milestones for their daughter. After she completed her final sport day last month, Sienna’s mum Lucy-Jo said: “Well… I’ve just been to my daughter’s LAST EVER Primary School Sports day and its fair to say, I’m not okay.
“I feel so grateful that she’s been a part of such a wonderful school that she’s blossomed in, and she’s made some real lifelong friends. I know when she starts high school she’ll make new friendship groups but I also know that Sienna is so loyal.
“She will keep in touch with all her gorgeous friends from her primary school. So Mums, if you’re also clinging to your Year 6 babies while Googling ‘how to slow down time,’ I see you. Today was an end of an era.”