Tina O’Brien insisted fighting ‘isn’t for me’ after Coronation Street scene left her with whiplash months before brawl
CORONATION Street actress Tina O’Brien insisted physical on-screen clashes were “not for me” just months before her brawl with teens outside her home.
The actress, who has played Sarah Barlow in the soap for 25 years, was caught on video throwing punches in the street while attempting to break up a fight.
Back in October, her character Sarah was smacked over the head with a wine bottle by villainous uncle Stephen Reid [Todd Boyce].
Speaking about the brutal scene, Tina claimed it left her with whiplash and said she wasn’t a fan of the rough stuff on set.
She said: “I could not move my neck the next day because we must have had to do it about 15 times for the shot. The next day I thought this is not for me. As you can see, it’s very physical.”
In the episode Sarah bravely confronted her uncle without knowing what he was capable of.
She said: “I think if she thought he was dangerous, she would never have tried to have a word with him.
“She believes as a family that they can get through to him.”
It’s a trait that appears to have carried over from real life given her willingness to intervene in a potentially dangerous street altercation.
The 5ft 1in actress, 40, threw punches and put one girl in a headlock — but was also hit and had her hair pulled.
She rushed out of her £1million home wearing pink jogging bottoms as violence flared outside.
Shocking footage then sees the star trading blows on the street in a posh Manchester suburb.
A source told The Sun last night: “Tina came out to break things up — but ended up joining in. At one point, it ended up three-on-one with Tina and two girls against this other lass.
“She was throwing punches and also took a few blows herself.
“Watching her on Coronation Street, you wouldn’t think in a million years she’d get involved in something like this, especially in such a public place.”
A fight was believed to have broken out among two groups of teenage girls near Tina’s home in Bramhall, where she was understood to have been plagued by problems.
Video obtained by The Sun then shows the actress grabbing one and telling her: “Get away from the f****** house.”
A separate clip shows Tina confront another youngster, said to be aged around 15.
The actress, who plays Sarah Barlow on the ITV soap, can be heard saying: “Stop, I just said ‘Stop’.” As the girl kicks out at another teen, Tina grabs her, hits her and puts her in a headlock.
Tina, wearing a stripey top, is then punched and has her hair pulled before another teen joins in the brawl.
The star and two others are also seen pushing a girl up against a VW.
Our source added: “When you see Tina on the soap and then you see this video — it’s not what you’d expect from her.
“It’s shocking she’s got caught up in a fight with 15-year-olds.
“You also wouldn’t expect this to happen in that road, as it’s a really posh street in a nice area.”
Tina lives in a cul-de-sac with husband Adam Crofts and her two kids.
The violence erupted on Friday night around 10ft from her driveway, while a second brawl took place 20ft away.
A source close to the actress said she had been left “deeply disturbed” by the incident — and had reported it to police herself.
A relative of one of the girls also reported it to cops.
The source went on: “Tina has been plagued by problems near her house and, on this occasion, came out to try to deal with it.
“Some girls travelled to her road and were close to her house so she felt she was defending herself and her home.”
Tina, who has twice been crowned Best Actress at the Inside Soap Awards, has shared pictures online of her luxury home and sprawling garden.
Tina has been plagued by problems near her house and, on this occasion
The star wed personal trainer Adam at Manchester’s luxurious King Street Townhouse on New Year’s Eve 2018 and the couple have a son, Beau.
Tina also has a 15-year-old daughter — Scarlett — with former Corrie star Ryan Thomas, with whom she was in a relationship from 2003 to 2009.
Scarlett stars as Izzy Charles in BBC drama Waterloo Road. Tina featured in Corrie from 1999 to 2008 then took a break, during which she starred on Waterloo Road.
She has also appeared on Strictly, coming fourth with American dance partner Jared Murillo in 2010.
ATTACKS ON EX'S MOTOR
By MICHAEL HAMILTON
TINA O’Brien was accused of smashing up her ex Ryan Thomas’s Range Rover with a baseball bat after a late-night row two years ago.
The Sun revealed that the motor’s wing mirror was taken off and its paintwork scratched during the 1am bust-up.
The couple started dating in 2003 when they were both starring on Corrie and have a daughter Scarlett. But they then had a “fractious relationship” after splitting in 2009.
Tempers were said to have flared after Tina had been partying with friends, and Ryan went to meet her.
A source said at the time: “It was quite a disturbing incident and Ryan drove away as soon as he could. He’s furious.”
Ryan, 39, played Jason Grimshaw in Corrie until 2016. He has since retired from acting.