‘She’s taking it really hard’: Insiders reveal heartbreaking reason behind Alan Halsall’s split with girlfriend 20 years his junior as Coronation Street actor’s love life begins to echo that of doomed Tyrone Dobbs

For the better part of 30 years, Coronation Street’s Tyrone Dobbs has had a tough time finding love.

The same can be said for the actor who plays him, Alan Halsall, whose romantic life is marred by a broken marriage and a series of failed relationships.

But while his long-running Corrie character is now happily settled with wife Fizz, that’s not the case for Halsall, who is single again after quietly splitting from girlfriend Ellie Dolan just a year later.

It was only a few months ago that the 43-year-old actor fell in love with the 26-year-old HR manager, who is 17 years his junior.

However, according to sources close to the former couple, they both realized that the relationship would not stand the test of time and decided to part ways before things got more serious.

Despite this, Ms Dolan is said to have taken the separation ‘hard’.

An insider told the Daily Mail: ‘Alan and Ellie respect each other so much and get along like a house on fire.

‘Friends and family could see how they were both in love with each other from the very beginning and had so much in common.

‘But when it came to the pressures of daily life, they realized they were moving in different directions.’

Indeed, almost two decades apart, the pair are at very different stages of their lives.

But their devotion to their children and family-oriented outlook on life was said to be something they both valued in each other.

Ms Dolan has two children from a previous relationship, who developed a good friendship with Halsall and her 12-year-old daughter Sienna.

The couple first started dating in December 2024, a few weeks after Halsall returned to the UK after appearing on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here. in Australia.

The sweet photo of their relationship, shared by Halsall on her official Instagram account, showed Sienna standing between the new couple and looking happy.

They managed to keep their blossoming romance under wraps before finally going public in May 2025 after rumors about their relationship emerged.

The sweet photo of their relationship, shared by Halsall on her official Instagram account, showed Sienna standing between the new couple and looking happy.

Another source also revealed how close Ms Dolan has become to her daughter, who friends say is her ‘world’.

‘Alan is extremely protective of Sienna and would do anything for her, their bond is so strong,’ my source said.

‘Understandably Alan did not introduce Ellie to Sienna until he was sure they both had a future, and this was the same in Ellie’s case.

‘They’ve gotten along really well since they were introduced though and are all enjoying their family days out.’

Halsall also looked happier than ever with Ms Dolan by her side when they attended her co-star Jack P. Shepherd’s wedding in July last year.

The Corrie star had a huge smile on her face and held Ms Dolan’s hand as she entered the church, looking delighted in her gorgeous butter yellow dress.

This was seen by the actor’s friends as their first official event together as a couple.

Nine months later and after weeks of not posting photos of each other on social media, rumors began swirling that they had split.

The pair subsequently unfollowed each other on Instagram, with Halsall going so far as to remove photos in which she was tagged with him from public outings together.

‘Ellie has taken the breakup hard, been introduced to Alan’s family and friends and grown to like them immensely,’ the insider said.

‘He still keeps in touch with some of them, including his brother Stephen. It’s incredibly sad, but unfortunately this happens with breakups.’

Ms. Dolan briefly deactivated her Instagram account in recent weeks but has since reactivated the profile, which is not publicly accessible.

“Ellie took the breakup very hard, was introduced to Alan’s family and friends and grew to like them immensely,” the insider said.

Adjusting to single life again, Halsall threw himself into work on the Weatherfield pavements, spent time with friends and hit the golf course whenever he could.

Sienna, who made her acting debut in an upcoming Christmas pantomime, has recently followed in his footsteps and kept him busy.

A representative for Halsall did not respond to requests for comment.

The Corrie star welcomed Sienna with ex-wife Lucy-Jo Hudson in 2013.

The exes were once television’s golden couple of the ’20s, having met on the set of Coronation Street in 2005.

At the time, Ms. Hudson was playing the role of troubled teenager Katy Harris, but she left the program that year with a tragic storyline in which her character took her own life.

Ms. Hudson and Halsall married in 2009 and announced their separation seven years later, finalizing their divorce in 2018.

Just months after their marriage ended, Ms. Hudson moved on with actor and entertainer Lewis Devine.

The couple has a child named Carter, born in 2020.

Halsall also had a long-term relationship with former Corrie star Tisha Merry, whom he previously met on the show.

Merry, 32, moved into the actor’s Manchester mansion during their five years together, but their relationship ended in early 2024 after the pair realized they were on different pages. Miss Merry moved out soon after.

Halsall previously said she was unimpressed with being single in her 40s during a chat with her campmates on I’m a Celebrity last year.

He explained: ‘Lucy left Corrie around 2005, then we got married in 2009. We later separated after Sienna was born.

‘I love what I have, even now I’m on my own, I love being Sienna and I and I’m sure that will change, at some point it will be different but I’ve never been on dating apps.’

However, now that he is back on the market, his opinion may change.