Michelle Collins has shared her excitement about returning to EastEnders, after her character Cindy Beale came back from the dead in a dramatic twist. Cindy, who was thought to have died off-screen during childbirth, was revealed to have been in a witness protection programme.
Speaking to Prima magazine, Michelle, 62, said: “It was a big decision to return and I wanted to go back with a good storyline. People love to hate Cindy. She is unapologetic and behaves in a way you shouldn’t really behave, but you sometimes can’t help that when you follow your heart, not your gut.”
Reflecting on her previous departures from the soap, Michelle explained: “I left when I was 33, then went back after my daughter was born – and it wasn’t the same. I’d moved on and I wasn’t enjoying it. I’d had a taste of the outside world. It didn’t feel right, so I left again.”
However, this time feels different for the actress. “Now, it feels right being back. I’m comfortable in my skin, more in the moment. I’m still hard on myself, but I’m in a very different place now,” she said. “And you don’t see many 62-year-old women getting good TV roles.”
Returning to EastEnders as Rose Knight, the wife of Queen Vic owner George, Michelle was initially overwhelmed by the changes in Albert Square. “I walked around Albert Square on my first day [back] and couldn’t take anything in; it was surreal. It felt familiar but also alien, a bit like waking from a coma and thinking you’ve lost your memory, and then bits keep coming back.”
Despite the challenges, Michelle is now finding her feet. “I’ve found my feet now. At first, I was like, ‘I’ve come back after 25 years, I am nice really, I’m not horrible like my character, I promise.’ And I did think, ‘God, how do I play her?’ I’m more mature, I’ve evolved and so has Cindy.”
The full interview is in the August issue of Prima, which is out now. EastEnders continues tomorrow at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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