Michelle Collins

HOME

TheInfoList

Click Here for Items Related To - Michelle Collins

OR:

Michelle Collins on: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Amazon]

Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is an English actress and TV presenter, best known for her roles in the British

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

s ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' and ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

''. Collins played

Cindy Beale Cindy Beale (also Williams) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Michelle Collins. She first appeared 10 May 1988 and originally departed on 27 December 1990, before returning as one of the show's central ...

in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

soap ''

'' from 1988 to 1998, with a two-year break between 1990 and 1992. She played

Stella Price Stella Price is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by Michelle Collins. Collins' casting was announced in April 2011 and she began filming her scenes in May. The actress commuted from north L ...

in the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

soap ''

'' from 2011 to 2014. Her other notable TV roles include the BBC dramas ''Real Women'' (1998–1999), ''

Sunburn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and animals include: red or reddish skin that is ho ...

'' (1999–2000) and ''

Two Thousand Acres of Sky ''Two Thousand Acres of Sky '' is a TV drama which aired on BBC Television from 2001 to 2003. It was created and written by Timothy Prager. The Executive Producer was Adrian Bate. The show takes place on the fictional island of Ronansay off the ...

'' (2001–2003).

Early life and education

Collins was born at Hackney South East Hospital in Hackney, east London, to a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

mother, Mary, and a father of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

heritage. Her Flemish grandfather was

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

from

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

and had emigrated to the UK in 1915 when aged five. She and her elder sister Vicki were brought up by their mother Mary in

Highbury Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor house was sit ...

, London. When Collins was 14, her mother went back to university to obtain a law degree. In the 1970s Collins was a member of the youth organisation the

Woodcraft Folk Woodcraft Folk is a UK-based educational movement for children and young people. Founded in 1925 and grown by volunteers, it has been a registered charity since 1965 Registered Charity since 2013. and a registered company limited by guarantee s ...

, and visited Romania with the group. She trained at the Royal Court Activists and Cockpit Youth Theatre from the age of 14, and Kingsway Princeton College, where she studied drama and theatre at O/A-level.

Career

Singing

After her exams Collins landed a role in Mikhail Bulgakov's ''The Crimson Island'', directed by Lou Stein, at the Gate Theatre. Her career changed direction after performing in the 1978 video for the Squeeze song "Cool For Cats". The band spent 18 months touring the country, working with artists such as Marc Almond, Level 42, Altered Images and Kid Creole and the Coconuts.

Early acting career

When the band broke up in 1982, she went back into acting and with the help of her friend, the British actor

Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the " Brit Pack". He made his television debut ...

, she successfully gained a part in a musical with Gary Hutton and

Gary Shail Gary Shail (born 10 November 1959) is an English actor, director, producer and musician. Career Gary Shail began work in TV and film in 1977 and is best known for his roles as Spider in the 1979 film ''Quadrophenia'' and as Steve, the punky teen ...

known as H.M.V. Collins had also been in ''

The Illustrated Mum ''The Illustrated Mum'' is a children's novel by English author Jacqueline Wilson, first published by Transworld in 1999 with drawings by Nick Sharratt. Set in London, the first person narrative by a young girl, Dolphin, features her manic depre ...

'' by

Jacqueline Wilson Dame Jacqueline Wilson (née Aitken; born 17 December 1945) is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for featuring realistic topics such as adoption and divorce without alienating her lar ...

. Collins's first TV appearance was with

Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy ...

in the BBC drama ''Morgan's Boy''. Other TV credits included: two series of the sitcom ''Running Wild'', where she played Ray Brooks daughter; a part in ITV drama ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

''; a Screen Two production ''Lucky Sunil'', directed by

Michael Caton Jones Michael Caton-Jones (born Michael Jones; 15 October 1957) is a Scottish director and producer of film and television. His credits include the World War II film '' Memphis Belle'' (1990), the romantic comedy ''Doc Hollywood'' (1991), the biogr ...

and a BBC play ''Pressures''. She later appeared in three films: ''Personal Services'', ''Empire State'' and

Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" who had "inherited Dennis Potter's crown". Early ...

's ''Hidden City''. Collins appeared in an episode of the BBC's ''Bergerac'' (series 4) in 1985.

''EastEnders''

While she was filming the BBC play ''Pressures'' in 1988, Collins was spotted by ''

'' producer Julia Smith, who asked her to audition for the role of

, who was to feature in 11 episodes of the soap. The manipulative, reckless nature of her character was a hit with viewers so her contract was extended and the character became a major villain in the series. Cindy was the unfaithful wife of ''EastEnders'' stalwart

Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...

(

Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...

), between 1988 and 1998. During breaks from ''EastEnders'' she filmed the drama ''Real Women'' for the BBC, with

Pauline Quirke Pauline Perpetua Sheen ( Quirke; born 8 July 1959) is an English actress who has played Sharon Theodopolopodous in the long-running comedy series '' Birds of a Feather'' (1988–1999, 2014–2017). For this role, she won the 1990 British Comed ...

and

Frances Barber Frances Barber (née Brookes, born 13 May 1958) is an English actress. She received Olivier Award nominations for her work in the plays '' Camille'' (1985), and ''Uncle Vanya'' (1997). Her film appearances include three collaborations with Gar ...

. On 14 November 2014, Collins reprised the role of Cindy for a short stint for Children in Need.

After ''EastEnders''

After leaving ''EastEnders'' in 1998 (when her character met an untimely demise offscreen), her career flourished with a series of drama roles. These include: two series of ''Real Women'' (BBC One); two series of ''

'' (BBC One), for which Collins sang the theme song (which was a no. 28 hit in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1999); '' Daylight Robbery'' (

); ''The Sleeper'' (BBC One); ''Uprising'' (ITV): three series of ''

'' (BBC One): the two-part series ''Perfect'' (ITV); ''Lloyd and the Hill'' (ITV) and ''Ella and the Mothers'' (BBC One). In 2003 Collins played Sarah Barton in ''Single''. In 2003, Collins filmed the BBC drama ''Sea of Souls'' and then went on to star in a film for

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

called ''The Illustrated Mum'', which told the story of two girls coping with the unpredictable behaviour of their depressed, alcoholic mother. The film, written by

, was based on the children's novel of the same name. It was screened to great acclaim over Christmas 2003 and won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and two BAFTAs. In 2004, she starred in an episode of ''

French and Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is al ...

'' and also starred with fellow ''EastEnders'' actor

Martin Kemp Martin John Kemp (born 10 October 1961) is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in ''EastEnders''. He is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is also a ...

in the ITV drama ''Can't Buy Me Love'', which was watched by nearly eight million viewers. The programme was inspired by the real-life story of Howard Walmsley, who was jailed for fraud after pretending to win the lottery to keep his wife Donna (played by Collins) from leaving him. Their lives and marriage were subsequently turned upside down by the events that unfolded. In 2005, Collins starred in the ITV drama ''

The Last Detective ''The Last Detective'' is a British TV comedy drama series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV between 7 February 2003 and 31 May 2007, starring Peter Davison as the title character, Detective Constable "Dangerous Davies". The series is based o ...

'' and in the BBC drama ''The Family Man'', alongside ex-EastEnder

Daniela Denby-Ashe Daniela Jolanta Denby-Ashe (born 9 August 1978) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Sarah Hills on the soap opera ''EastEnders'', Margaret Hale on the period drama ''North and South'', and Janey Harper on the BBC sitcom ''My F ...

, which aired in March 2006. She starred in the West End musical '' Daddy Cool'', and while working during the night there shot sequences for a cameo in the short film ''Broken'' written and directed by Vicki Psarias, which went on to win the several international awards. She also featured in the film '' Don't Stop Dreaming'', released in 2007. She left ''Daddy Cool'' in January 2007 to shoot the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' episode " 42". On 2 July 2007, it was announced that Collins has been cast for the lead role of Karina Faith in new

drama series, ''

Rock Rivals ''Rock Rivals'' was a British television drama series following the lives of two celebrity judges on an '' X Factor'' style show as their marriage falls apart. It was produced by Shed Productions, the company behind ''Footballers' Wives'', '' B ...

'', produced by

Shed Productions Shed Productions, part of Warner Bros. Television Productions UK, was an independent UK television production company, specialising in contemporary, original drama programming and content. It was established in 1998 by Eileen Gallagher, Brian P ...

. In 2009, Collins took part in the

BBC Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, BBC Cymru Wales is ...

programme '' Coming Home'' about her Welsh family history. On 21 May 2009, it was rumoured that Collins had auditioned to star in US drama ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

'', but she did join the cast. In June 2010, it was announced that Collins would make a six-episode guest appearance as a patient's mother in ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

''. In 2010, she also guest-starred in ''Romeo & Juliet'' at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, playing the Nurse. From 7 April-7 May 2011, Collins starred as Sheila Grundy,

Fred Dibnah Frederick Travis Dibnah, (29 April 1938 – 6 November 2004) was an English steeplejack and television personality, with a keen interest in mechanical engineering, who described himself as a "backstreet mechanic". When Dibnah w ...

's third wife, in ''The Demolition Man'' at

Octagon Theatre, Bolton The Octagon Theatre is a producing theatre located in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Programme The Octagon produces eight or nine professional theatre productions each year in its Main Auditorium. Productions come from a wide range of ty ...

''Coronation Street''

In January 2011, a rumour was posted on

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

that Collins was in talks to join ''EastEnders'' main rivalling soap ''

'', after she allegedly met with soap's producer and close friend

Phil Collinson Philip Collinson (born 26 August 1970) is a British television producer. He was initially an actor, before switching to working behind the cameras in the industry as a script editor and writer on programmes such as ''Springhill'' and ''Emmerda ...

. Three months later it was confirmed Collins had joined the cast as

, new landlady of the Rovers Return pub, beating Lisa Maxwell for the role. Her first episode aired on 16 June 2011 and gained a rating of 8.4 million. It was announced on 22 August 2013 Collins had decided to leave ''Coronation Street''. In January 2014, Collins claimed she was "unhappy" over the lack of screen time for her and her character. Collins filmed her final scenes on 19 February 2014, and made her final appearance as Stella on 2 April 2014.

After ''Coronation Street''

Since leaving ''Coronation Street'', Collins has had various guest roles in television dramas: ''

'' as Samantha Kellman (2014), '' Death in Paradise'' as Annette Burgess (2015), and ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...

'' as Nadine Campbell (2016). In October 2019 Collins appeared in ''Casualty'' as Lorna Rowle/Hammond. In 2016, Collins took part in the

reality series '' Bear Grylls: Mission Survive''.2-1

Personal life

Collins has a daughter by ex-partner Fabrizio Tassalini, Maia Rose (born 29 September 1996). In 2014, Collins revealed that in 1998 – distraught by the end of her relationship with Tassalini and feeling career pressure – she attempted suicide while filming ''Sunburn'' in Cyprus. She took an overdose of sleeping pills but later woke up and asked her costar to take her to the hospital. After their split, Collins had an amicable relationship with Tassalini, who lived close by, and they raised their daughter together until he died in 2014. In April 2022 Collins announced she was engaged to her partner of 10 years, Mike Davidson. They married in August. In August 2014, Collins was one of 200 public figures to sign a letter to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' in opposition to

Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...

in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue. Collins is involved in charitable causes. She is an ambassador for

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

and has visited Brazil, South Africa and Armenia, promoting the need for the basic right to education. She is also an ambassador for

Ambitious about Autism Ambitious about Autism is a UK national charity which aims to improve opportunities for young people on the Autistic Spectrum, including those with autism or Asperger syndrome. Originally established in 1997 as the TreeHouse Trust, the charity ...

and a patron for the Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation.

Filmography

Film

Television

Guest appearances

*''

Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes ''Stars in Their Eyes'' is a British television talent series, based on Joop van den Ende's Dutch format ''Soundmixshow''. It featured a singing contest in which members of the public impersonate showbiz stars. The show premiered on 21 July 1 ...

'' (9 October 1999) – Contestant, as

Chrissie Hynde Christine Ellen Hynde (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band the Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alon ...

*''

The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, an ...

'' (1 December 2004, 30 March 2006, 25 November 2009) – Guest *''

All Star Family Fortunes ''Family Fortunes'' is a British television game show based on the American game show ''Family Feud''. The programme ran on ITV (TV network), ITV from 6 January 1980 to 30 December 2002. A celebrity version, ''#All Star Family Fortunes, All St ...

'' (13 September 2008) – Contestant *''

As Seen on TV As seen on TV is a generic nameplate for products advertised on television in the United States for direct-response mail-order through a toll-free telephone number. ''As Seen on TV'' advertisements, known as infomercials, are usually 30-minute sho ...

'' (30 July 2009) – Guest *''What Do Kids Know?'' (31 January 2010) – Guest team captain *''

Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...

'' (2010) – Panellist *''

The Alan Titchmarsh Show ''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2007 until 14 November 2014 and aired on weekday afternoons. The show's main focus is the "Best of British" the ...

'' (26 October 2010) – Guest *''

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and ...

'' (August 2011) – Contestant with

William Roache William Patrick Roache (born 25 April 1932) is an English actor. He is best known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since it was first broadcast on 9 December 1960. He is listed in the ''Guinness World Records ...

*'' Let's Do Lunch with Gino & Mel'' (30 August 2011, 16 July 2014) – Guest *''

Celebrity Juice ''Celebrity Juice'' is a British television comedy panel game on ITV2, broadcast since 24 September 2008. The show is written and presented by Leigh Francis in the role of his alter ego Keith Lemon, and its current team captains Laura Whitmore ...

'' (13 October 2011) – Panellist *'' The Chase: Celebrity Special'' (5 November 2011) – Contestant *''

Paddy's 2011 Show and Telly ''Paddy's Show and Telly'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British one-off game show that aired two editions on ITV (TV channel), ITV on 29 December 2011 and 22 December 2012, hosted by Paddy McGuinness. Format The format of the show inv ...

'' (29 December 2011) – Contestant with

Melanie Sykes Melanie Ann Sykes (born 7 August 1970) is an English television and radio presenter. She is best known for co-hosting ''Today with Des and Mel'' with Des O'Connor and '' Let's Do Lunch'' with Gino D'Acampo. She also co-hosted ''Going Out with Al ...

*''

12 Again ''12 Again'' is a show that premiered on CBBC on 13 February 2012. It is presented by Iain Stirling Iain Andrew Stirling (born 27 January 1988) is a British comedian, writer, television presenter, actor, narrator and Twitch streamer from ...

'' (7 June 2012) – Guest *''

Show Me the Telly ''Show Me the Telly'' is a British game show that aired on ITV from 25 November to 20 December 2013 as a winter replacement for '' Tipping Point'' and was hosted by Richard Bacon with Chris Tarrant as team captain. Format The game consists of ...

'' (26, 29 November 3, 5, 9, 12, 19 December 2013) – Panellist *'' Catchphrase: Christmas Special'' (29 December 2013) – Contestant *'' Weekend'' (26 April 2014) – Guest *''

Saturday Kitchen ''Saturday Kitchen Live'' is a British cookery programme, that is broadcast live on BBC One every Saturday between 10.00am and 11.30am produced by Cactus TV. History 2002–2003 After a pilot hosted by Ainsley Harriott on 14 April 2001, the ...

'' (3 May 2014) – Guest *'' This Morning'' (10 July 2015) – Guest *''

Pointless ''Pointless'' is a British television quiz show produced by Banijay subsidiary Remarkable Television for the BBC. It is hosted by Alexander Armstrong. In each episode four teams of two contestants attempt to find correct but obscure answers to ...

'' (28 December 2019) - Contestant *''

The Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which The Weakest Link (British game show), first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host ...

'' (30 December 2021) - Contestant *Garraway's good Stuff (19 june 2022) - Guest

Theatre Credits

References

Published works

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Michelle 1962 births Living people Actresses from London People from Hackney Central English people of Welsh descent British people of Belgian-Jewish descent English television actresses English soap opera actresses 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses People associated with the Woodcraft Folk English people of Flemish descent