Coronation Street actress Tina O’Brien appears to have found love again after she was pictured sharing a passionate kiss with TikTok star and part-time paramedic Rory Martin.
The 42-year-old soap favourite looked completely smitten as she cuddled and kissed her new companion during a public outing in Cheshire on Thursday.
Tina’s mystery man has since been identified in reports as Rory, a social-media personality from Northern Ireland who has built an audience of almost half a million followers on TikTok.
Alongside creating online content, Rory is understood to work part-time as a paramedic for the ambulance service.
The pair appeared relaxed and affectionate as they stood close together in the street, exchanging kisses and wrapping their arms around one another.
Their public display marks the first indication that Tina may have begun a new relationship following her split from millionaire businessman Adam Fadle seven months ago.
Neither Tina nor Rory has publicly confirmed the romance, and it remains unclear how long they have been seeing each other.
However, they follow one another on Instagram, although they have yet to share photographs together or openly interact through posts visible to followers.
Representatives for both have reportedly been approached for comment.
Rory’s social-media accounts show a varied lifestyle far removed from Tina’s dramatic world on the famous Weatherfield cobbles.
He regularly shares videos of himself singing and playing the guitar, revealing an enthusiasm for music alongside his work in emergency care.
Other posts show him playing golf, travelling and speaking directly to his large online following.
His mixture of lifestyle videos, music and informal conversations has helped him attract almost 500,000 followers on TikTok.
Despite his growing online profile, Rory also continues working as a part-time paramedic, giving him a professional life away from social media.
Tina, meanwhile, has been one of Coronation Street’s most recognisable stars for more than two decades.
She first joined the ITV soap as Sarah Platt in 1999, becoming central to a series of major storylines while still a teenager.
Her character has endured teenage pregnancy, turbulent marriages, family feuds, betrayal and numerous dramatic romances.
Tina temporarily left the programme in 2008 but returned to Weatherfield in 2015 and has remained a prominent member of the cast.
Away from the screen, the actress has experienced several high-profile relationships.
Her latest reported romance arrives seven months after she separated from Adam Fadle.
Sources claimed Tina ended that relationship in November because she felt it was “not going anywhere” and did not believe it would last.
The pair had begun dating only months after the collapse of her marriage to personal trainer Adam Crofts.
Tina was married to Crofts for six years, and the former couple share a son, Beau.
They reportedly began their relationship after meeting in a Manchester coffee shop, where Beau is said to have amusingly played a role in bringing them together.
The couple married during an intimate New Year’s Eve ceremony in Manchester in 2018.
However, the marriage later came to an end, with Tina subsequently entering a relationship with Fadle.
Her romance with the businessman appeared initially serious, but insiders later suggested she decided to walk away after becoming unconvinced about their future.
Tina has not shared extensive public details about the split and has generally attempted to keep her more recent relationships away from the spotlight.
Her affectionate appearance with Rory is therefore likely to surprise fans who believed she remained single.
The photographs suggested a natural closeness between them as they kissed without appearing concerned about being seen.
Tina dressed casually for the outing and appeared comfortable in Rory’s company.
The reported new couple’s relationship may still be in its early stages, particularly given the lack of photographs or romantic messages on their social-media pages.
Their decision to follow one another on Instagram nevertheless provides a small public connection between them.
Rory’s increasing fame on TikTok also means he is not entirely unfamiliar with the attention that can accompany a relationship with a television star.
However, dating one of Britain’s best-known soap actresses may bring an entirely different level of public scrutiny.
Tina’s private life has attracted media attention since the beginning of her career.
She previously dated her former Coronation Street co-star Ryan Thomas, who played Jason Grimshaw on the programme.
Their relationship began in 2003 and lasted until 2009.
The former couple share a daughter, and their separation became the subject of a number of public disagreements.
Both later moved on and built separate family lives, although their past relationship has continued to attract attention because of their shared connection to Coronation Street.
Ryan went on to build a successful reality-television career and is now married to former The Only Way Is Essex star Lucy Mecklenburgh.
Tina has generally preferred to focus publicly on her work and children rather than revisit the more difficult elements of her previous romances.
Her apparent new chapter with Rory comes at a time when she remains busy with Coronation Street.
Sarah Platt continues to be at the heart of the soap’s family and romantic drama, frequently finding herself caught between the Barlows and the Platts.
Tina’s longevity on the programme has made her a favourite with viewers who have watched her character grow from a schoolgirl into a mother and successful businesswoman.
The actress has also occasionally appeared in other television projects, but Coronation Street has remained the defining role of her career.
Rory’s background is considerably different.
Originally from Northern Ireland, he appears to balance his work for the ambulance service with his expanding social-media career.
His videos often highlight a playful and creative side, particularly when he performs songs or plays guitar.
The combination of his medical career and online popularity has already attracted a substantial following.
Fans may now begin searching his posts for possible clues about when his connection with Tina began.
So far, neither appears to have left obvious romantic comments on the other’s public profile.
It is possible that they deliberately kept their relationship private while getting to know one another.
Their street kisses, however, have now brought the reported romance firmly into public view.
Tina’s supporters are likely to be pleased to see her appearing happy after the end of two relationships in relatively quick succession.
Her marriage to Crofts ended before her romance with Fadle, which itself reportedly lasted only several months.
At the time of the latter split, sources suggested Tina had been realistic about the relationship and chose not to continue once she believed it had no long-term future.
The actress is understood to have concentrated on her family and career during the months that followed.
Now Rory appears to have brought romance back into her life.
While headlines have already labelled him her new man, no official statement has confirmed that they are in an exclusive or long-term relationship.
The photographs establish that they shared an affectionate moment, but the precise nature and duration of their connection remain known only to them.
The pair may choose to keep matters private despite growing interest from fans.
Tina has previously experienced the consequences of having personal relationships examined in public, making a cautious approach understandable.
Rory may also wish to protect his professional role as a paramedic from the attention surrounding his online profile and reported celebrity romance.
Nevertheless, his substantial TikTok following means he already has experience communicating with a large audience.
Should the couple decide to become Instagram official, they are unlikely to lack public interest.
For now, their Cheshire encounter provides the clearest glimpse of the apparent relationship.
The actress and paramedic appeared completely focused on one another as they kissed, cuddled and enjoyed the ordinary street-side moment.
There were no dramatic red-carpet outfits, television cameras or carefully staged announcements.
Instead, Tina’s possible new romance emerged through a spontaneous display of affection away from the Coronation Street set.
After years of fictional turmoil as Sarah Platt and several real-life relationship changes, the actress appeared content in Rory’s arms.
The social-media star’s identity may no longer be a mystery, but many questions remain about their story.
It is not known how they met, when the romance began or whether Rory has been introduced to Tina’s family and friends.
Neither has commented publicly, leaving the photographs to tell the story for now.
What they do show is a smiling and affectionate Tina beginning what appears to be a promising new chapter.
Seven months after ending her relationship with Adam Fadle, the Coronation Street favourite seems ready to move forward — with a guitar-playing TikTok star and real-life emergency hero by her side.
