THE father of Strictly and Dancing on Ice star Chelsee Healey’s tot is a convicted drug dealer who is now behind bars.
The Hollyoaks and Waterloo Road actress, 36, had tried to keep his identity a secret, only referring to him as Eddie, since they had the child together 15 months ago.
But The Sun on Sunday can reveal he is Eddie Rainford, 31, who pleaded guilty to supplying Class B drugs at court on January 23, just four days after she was eliminated from ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
He is now facing up to 14 years in jail when he is sentenced on Friday at Manchester crown court.
Rainford is currently on remand at Forest Bank Prison in Greater Manchester, sources say.
After her ice exit, Chelsee hinted at the tough time she had endured away from the cameras, saying: “There has been a lot going on with me that I have been struggling with.”
A source said: “What Chelsee was desperately coping with while on the show was that her partner, the father of her youngest daughter, was in court for drug-dealing and has been sent to prison on remand.”
Another insider said yesterday that she was no longer in a relationship with Rainford.
Chelsee shared a selection of pictures on social media of Rainford on his birthday in April last year.
And fans speculated that the pair, both from Salford, had secretly married when she referred to him as her “husband” on Instagram.
They had a daughter, Cookie, in December 2023.
The star, who plays Goldie McQueen in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and was previously Janeece Bryant in BBC school drama Waterloo Road, had kept Rainford’s identity a secret since they started dating in 2021.
His first name was revealed by her Hollyoaks co-star Richard Blackwood on Instagram when he shared pictures from her baby shower, with Rainford in the background.
Chelsee, who also has daughter Coco, seven, from another relationship, previously said of Rainford: “This is the most supportive relationship I’ve ever been in.
“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. I’ve kissed a few frogs, but he’s definitely marriage material.”
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.”
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.
She said: “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.”
And in an exclusive chat with The Sun on Sunday in December, Chelsee said: “Andy is the best support and I have told all my problems to him just so he knows how to expect me on the day. And if I feel like I have taken on too much or whatever, he knows where my stop and start is.”
She was runner-up on Strictly in 2011 and the first in that series to earn a perfect 40 out of 40 score.
Rainford is charged with being concerned in the supply of a quantity of cannabis between November 11, 2022, and September 28, 2023, in Salford.
Co-defendant Jay Boyd faces the same charge.
We approached Chelsee’s representatives for comment.
