Things appear to have fizzled out between Alan Halsall and his girlfriend Ellie Dolan after a year-long romance that seemed to move pretty quickly from the start.
The Coronation Street favourite, 43, is believed to have gone their separate ways with the 26-year-old HR worker after the pair realised the relationship was not heading in the direction either of them wanted. Fans first began speculating that something was off after the couple unfollowed each other on social media, with Alan also removing photos of Ellie from his accounts.
According to reports from The Sun, the split may not have been completely smooth behind the scenes, although neither Alan nor Ellie has spoken publicly about the breakup.
A source close to the pair said, ‘Alan enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Ellie. They got on really well and she loved spending time with his daughter.’
Alan is dad to 11-year-old Sienna, whom he shares with former Coronation Street co-star Lucy-Jo Hudson. The former couple were married from 2009 until 2018 and have since built what’s believed to be a solid co-parenting relationship.
The source continued: ‘Things turned serious quite quickly and they soon realised it wasn’t what they wanted.’
The relationship first started making headlines late last year after Alan was said to be ‘smitten’ with Ellie, who is 17 years younger than him. The pair reportedly met at the Worsley Park Country Club, where Ellie worked and Alan was a regular member.
At first, they kept things fairly low-key, with neither posting much publicly about the romance. But by May 2025, the couple appeared happy to make things Instagram official, sharing loved-up snaps together online. Earlier this year, they also posted a cosy New Year’s Eve photo that gave fans a glimpse into their relationship.
Friends of the couple previously claimed things became serious pretty quickly, especially after Ellie’s children reportedly spent time with Alan’s daughter, Sienna. Those close to the pair said they seemed genuinely happy together for a while, with family playing a big part in the relationship.
The couple were also spotted together at the wedding of Alan’s Coronation Street co-star Jack P Shepherd in Manchester over the summer, adding to speculation at the time that things between them were becoming increasingly serious.
Their romance began shortly after Alan returned from his appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, where viewers saw a different side to the actor away from the cobbles of Weatherfield. Following his return to the UK, insiders claimed he and Ellie quickly hit it off and enjoyed spending lots of time together.
Before dating Ellie, Alan had been in a long-term relationship with former Corrie actress Tisha Merry. The pair were together for five years before quietly splitting in 2024.
Alan and Tisha had been seen as one of Coronation Street’s more stable off-screen couples, so news of their breakup came as a surprise to many fans at the time. Since then, Alan appeared focused on work, family life and spending time with his daughter before beginning his relationship with Ellie.
Despite his previous high-profile relationships, Alan has generally kept his private life fairly relaxed and away from too much public attention. In recent weeks, most of his social media posts have centred around family time with Sienna, days out and everyday moments rather than romance.
While neither Alan nor Ellie has commented directly on the split rumours, the social media clues have been enough to get fans talking online. For now, it seems both have decided to quietly move on after what friends described as a fast-paced relationship that simply ran its course.
Even though things may not have worked out long-term, those close to the couple say they did enjoy their time together and shared plenty of happy moments over the past year.
Metro has contacted Alan’s representatives for comment.
