SITTING in a courtroom a year on from having her daughter, Chelsee Healey broke down in tears as her baby daddy was carted off to prison.
Just days before she was due to make her debut on Dancing On Ice, the Hollyoaks actress, 37, was left heartbroken as boyfriend Edward Rainford was jailed for two years for his part in a drug-dealing operation – but things would only get worse for the soap star.
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Determined to take part in the ITV show she had waited years to join, she battled on, before it all came crashing down – she became the first celeb voted off her series after the skate-off was scrapped in a brutal twist.
After the stress of the trial, reports at the time suggested Chelsee and Eddie, who she shares her one-year-old daughter Cookie with, had split.
But The Sun can reveal that Chelsee – who plays Goldie McQueen on the Channel 4 soap – is still very much with her baby daddy.
And in just one month’s time, he is expected to get an early release, which Chelsee can’t wait for – despite concern from her pals.
An insider told us: “Chelsee has stayed with Eddie since his sentencing.
“She vowed to stay by him for the sake of their daughter and she is really looking forward to their future together. It won’t be long until they are a happy family again.
“Chelsee feels like she will finally be able to move on with her life when he’s out.
“Not everyone is quite as excited though – she’s got her career to think of, so there is some concern amongst her friends about associating with him again, let alone being properly together.”
It was revealed in court that Eddie had previously been sentenced to six years for violent offences while serving with the Royal Marines, but was released in July 2022.
The actress kept Eddie’s identity a secret when they began dating in 2021, and insiders later questioned if that decision was made because of his past.
But his first name was revealed following Cookie’s birth in December 2023, when he was seen in the background of photos from their baby shower, shared by actor Richard Blackwood.
The Waterloo Road favourite, who has a daughter, Coco, from a previous relationship with ex-con Jack Malloy, had told how her second pregnancy was a surprise.
She admitted: “The pregnancy wasn’t planned, it’s what I call a nice accident.”
However, she really felt like she had found The One after meeting Eddie and was excited about expanding their family together.
She gushed about it being the ‘most supportive’ relationship she’d ever had, adding: “My friends and family love him, and he’s the first bloke I’ve introduced Coco to, which says a lot. I knew he was ‘The One’ within three to four months.
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“I’ve kissed a few frogs, but he’s definitely marriage material.”
But it wasn’t completely smooth sailing – Cookie was delivered three weeks early via caesarean section due to concerns about Chelsee’s mental health.
The star revealed she was plagued with “dark thoughts” during her pregnancy and suffered post-partum depression.
She said: “I have suffered with my mental health for a long time, and it hit its peak while I was pregnant.”
And sadly, after leaving Dancing on Ice, she revealed she had suffered a miscarriage while competing on the show.
During her exit speech, she thanked her pro dance partner Andy Buchanan, saying: “I honestly couldn’t have done it without him. I feel personally that there has been a lot going on with me that I have been struggling with, so I couldn’t completely focus — Andy knows.”
Chelsee’s first daughter, Coco, was born eight years prior – with her former partner Jack Malloy, who she split from shortly after her birth in 2017 amid their on/off relationship.
The insider said: “It’s hard enough having one partner go to prison, but two? That’s just agony – she’s really been through so much.”
The pair first started dating in 2014, but the relationship was plagued by trouble after he was jailed for 12 months in 2016, just as Chelsee started her new job on Hollyoaks.
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The Sun revealed how Jack, 28, admitted to dangerous driving, using a vehicle without insurance and driving while disqualified. He’d previously been given a suspended sentence for producing cannabis.
They reconciled, and Chelsee fell pregnant with their first child, but the reunion was short-lived.
So it was no surprise that her relationship with Eddie raised eyebrows in her inner circle after everything she had been through with Jack.
Chelsee isn’t the first actress or reality star to fall for a bad boy, and she won’t be the last.
Award-Winning Sex and Relationship Coach Gemma Nice explains why successful women end up with men in and out of prison.
She says: “Some women believe they are the person to ‘change’ their bad boy persona when in reality it’s not that simple. The man has to want to change rather than being forced or pushed into it. Some people may even say that its their ‘project’ to get them to change their man.
“A lot of men portray themselves as highly successful and will do anything to get what they want, even if it means being sentenced to prison.
“A lot of the time, though, this is just a front for social media.
“Bad boys are also seen to have more masculinity, which can be attractive to a female of childbearing age, because it means their man will fight for and protect her and their children.
“Most of the time, this fizzles out after a few months of them being together.”
Chelsee’s love for Eddie, however, is still burning strong, and she’s never felt more prepared for the future than now.
She told fans last week: “I might have stumbled, but I’ve never stayed down…. a year of resilience and growth In every aspect! Don’t forget to pat yourself on your back, we are doing a great job.”
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