Coronation Street actress, Helen Flanagan, has hit back at cruel trolls who mocked her appearance.

The former Blackburn Westholme School pupil shared a post to her one million Instagram followers, criticising commenters who called her “tacky and unclassy.”

This is after she shared a video of herself posing in a red Valentine’s Day outfit.

Lancashire Telegraph: Helen Flanagan Helen Flanagan (Image: Instagram/@hjgflanagan)

Hundreds commented on the video and while some were positive others criticised the outfit for being ‘too revealing’ and ‘unclassy’.

Other comments targeted other aspects of Helen’s personality and appearance, including her lips.

One comment said: “Let’s hope no children see this as a role model or aspirational. Fake is not the way.”

Another cruel comment said: “You are thick as f***.”

“Talk of the school playground, ha,” said another

Another said: “Would you let your daughters out dressed like that?”

A commenter asked: “What happened to classy, Helen?”

“If you keep posing with your mouth open like that you'll just end up having endless amounts of flies flying into your gullet,” said another.

Replying to the critical comments, Helen said she was “shocked” that most of the negative remarks came from women.

She is now urging her female followers to empower other women instead of dragging them down.

She said: “So I shared a fashion reel a few days ago and I was a bit taken back from the not so nice comments I got on the post.

“I was more shocked that the majority of them were from women.

“I’m a girl’s girl and very much for other women... I don’t believe women should comment negatively about other women.

“I enjoy seeing women feeling glamorous and feeling empowered and dressing how they want to dress.

“Sometimes I see outfits that I wouldn’t wear as maybe they are too revealing for me but I just think ‘good on the girl that has the confidence to wear what she wants to wear’."

Helen said she would “never” speak badly about another woman’s appearance.

She said: “I had some comments from other women about being ‘tacky’ or ‘unclassy’…well to me being a woman and speaking so badly of another woman’s appearance is ‘tacky and unclassy’.

“I had comments about not being a good role model to my daughters. I will bring up my daughters to be kind, beautiful women that support other women with good morals.

“On social media you don’t like something you don’t have to comment.

“I love my account I feel like I really connect with others women and mothers…  I support other women, I don’t drag them down.”

Since making the post many female celebrities have left messages of support including Brassic’s Michelle Keegan, actress and radio presenter Gemma Atkinson and former Love Island star Olivia Attwood.