Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is a British actress. She is known for her role as Cindy Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (1988–1990, 1992–1998, 2023–present), as well as appearing as Stella Price in ITV's Coronation Street (2011–2014). Her other notable television roles include the BBC dramas Real Women (1998–1999), Sunburn (1999–2000) and Two Thousand Acres of Sky (2001–2003).

Early life and education Collins was born on 28 May 1962 at Hackney Hospital, Homerton High Street in Hackney, East London, to a Welsh mother, Mary, and a father of English and Flemish heritage. Her Flemish grandfather was Belgian from Antwerp and had emigrated to the UK in 1915 when aged five. She, alongside her elder sister Vicki, were brought up by their mother in Highbury, 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, and visited Romania with the group.

Collins 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 Early career 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", and as a backing singer for Mari Wilson and the Wilsations. The band spent 18 months touring the country. When the band broke up in 1982, she went back into acting and with the help of her friend, the British actor Tim Roth, she gained a part in a musical with Gary Hutton and Gary Shail.

Collins's first TV appearance was with Gary Oldman 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; a Screen Two production Lucky Sunil, directed by Michael Caton-Jones and a BBC play Pressures. She later appeared in three films: Personal Services, Empire State and Stephen Poliakoff'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 EastEnders producer Julia Smith, who asked her to audition for the role of Cindy Williams, 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 (Adam Woodyatt), between 1988 and 1998. During breaks from EastEnders she filmed the drama Real Women for the BBC, with Pauline Quirke and Frances Barber. On 14 November 2014, Collins reprised the role of Cindy for a short stint for Children in Need.

In May 2023, it was announced that Collins would be returning to the soap after 25 years, alongside Woodyatt, thus resurrecting the character from the dead. Collins returned to the role permanently in June 2023, where it is revealed that Cindy hadn't died in childbirth, but had entered a witness protection programme and had taken on the identity of 'Rose Knight', the wife of George Knight (Colin Salmon) and the mother of Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford).

After EastEnders After leaving EastEnders in 1998, her career saw a series of drama roles. These included: two series of Real Women (BBC One); two series of Sunburn (BBC One), for which Collins sang the theme song (which was a no. 28 hit in the UK singles chart in 1999); Daylight Robbery (ITV); The Sleeper (BBC One); Uprising (ITV): three series of Two Thousand Acres of Sky (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/Channel 4 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 Jacqueline Wilson, was based on the children's novel of the same name. It was screened over Christmas 2003 and won an Emmy Award and two BAFTAs.

In 2004, she starred in an episode of French and Saunders and also starred with fellow EastEnders actor Martin Kemp in the ITV drama Can't Buy Me Love. In 2005, Collins starred in the ITV drama The Last Detective and in the BBC drama The Family Man, alongside Daniela Denby-Ashe, 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 episode "42".

On 2 July 2007, it was announced that Collins has been cast for the lead role of Karina Faith in new ITV drama series, Rock Rivals, produced by Shed Productions."Michelle Collins lands 'Rock Rivals' role" , Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 December 2014. In 2009, Collins took part in the BBC Wales 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, but she did not join the cast."EastEnders" Star Auditions for "Housewives", Digital Spy, 14 July 2009."Michelle Collins Has 'Desperate Housewives' Audition", What's on TV, 14 July 2009.Michelle Collins "Would Do Soap Again", Digital Spy, 30 July 2009.

In June 2010, it was announced that Collins would make a six-episode guest appearance as a patient's mother in Casualty. 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's third wife, in The Demolition Man at Octagon Theatre, Bolton.

Coronation Street

In January 2011, a rumour was posted on Digital Spy that Collins was in talks to join EastEnders main rivalling soap Coronation Street, after she allegedly met with soap's producer and close friend Phil Collinson. Three months later it was confirmed Collins had joined the cast as Stella Price, 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: Casualty as Samantha Kellman (2014), Death in Paradise as Annette Burgess (2015), and Midsomer Murders as Nadine Campbell (2016). In October 2019 Collins appeared in Casualty as Lorna Rowle/Hammond. In 2016, Collins took part in the ITV reality series Bear Grylls: Mission Survive.

Personal life Collins has a daughter with ex-partner Fabrizio Tassalini, born in 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 a co-star to take her to 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 that year.

In November 1993, Collins appeared with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in a party political broadcast for the Labour Party. In August 2014, she was one of 200 public figures to sign a letter to The Guardian in opposition to Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.

Collins is involved in charitable causes. She is an ambassador for Oxfam 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 and a patron for the Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation.

Published works

Filmography

Film Year Title Role 1987 Personal Services June Empire State Emma Hidden City Applicant at Hairdressing Salon 1992 Come by Chance Young cowgirl 1993 John Virgo: Playing for Laughs Herself A Place to Be Loved Julie 1996 Darkman III: Die Darkman Die Nurse1999 Real Women II Susie Ball 2000 Waking Mele Bar Patron2001 Perfect Julie Lloyd & Hill DI Judy Hill2002 Ella and the Mothers Gina 2003 It Shouldn't Happen to a TV Actor Kathy Lawrence 2004 PJ's Storytime Herself Bubblegum JennyCan't Buy Me LoveDonna Harris2006The Family ManGillian2007Jackie Magazine: A Girl's Best FriendHerselfDon't Stop DreamingJessicaBrokenJanet 2008The Bill Made Me Famous HerselfPlayMotherGetting OutChelle 2012Coronation Street: A Christmas CorrieStella Price 2013Shades Herself2014Coronation Street: A Moving StoryEastenders: The Ghosts of Ian Beale – Children in Need SpecialCindy Beale2017What Does and Idea Sound Like?Black RoadMaggie Laine2018My Dad's Gap YearCathTo Provide All PeopleMaternity Admin2019Coronation Street at ChristmasStella PriceCelebrity 5 Go CampingHerselfMadam MayorDenise2020Coronation Street: ComplicationsStella PriceThe Winter's Tale – Rehearsed ReadingHermioneDealerHerself 2021Rise of the Footsoldier: OriginsMandy Williams2022The Long WalkSuzanne James2023My HouseSarahStephenMaxChildren in NeedCindy BealeSearching for LilyQueenie2024The Cancellation of Jim DavidsonHerselfA Gangster's KissSadie2025MelodriveNora

Television