EastEnders legend Michelle Collins has said “I’ll miss her” after recently announcing that she will be taking a step away from the BBC soap.
Over the years, Michelle has established herself as one of the most recognisable faces in the soap world, having starred in both EastEnders and Coronation Street during her impressive career.
But in her latest career move, she is set to swap the screen for the stage as she takes on a new role. Starting later this month, she will debut her self-created play, Motorhome Marilyn, in Edinburgh. The show tells the fictional story of a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.
In a recent interview with Inside Soap, the 63-year-old shared insight into how the play came about, as well as detailing the difficult decision to temporarily step back from her role in the BBC soap.
Meanwhile, expressing gratitude to her EastEnders bosses for understanding her ambition to try something new, she told the magazine: “So I had to speak to them about taking time off to do it. Thankfully, we’ve made it work, which is great.”
She added: “They understand that going off and doing other things keeps you creatively fresh. You feel re-energised when you come back.”
While she is excited about the prospect of taking on a new role, she admitted it also comes with a touch of nervous anticipation, saying: “I probably will miss her and be longing to go back to doing telly by the end, as I’ll be tired!”
But this isn’t the first time she has taken to the stage: “Though I’ve done lots of theatre — eight shows a week with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Cluedo — you need stamina!”
Having originally landed the role of Cindy Beale in EastEnders back in 1988, she has had brief stints away from the show over the years.
During her longest hiatus from the soap, she joined the cast of Coronation Street in 2011 and took on the role of Rovers Return landlady Stella Price.
Away from her time in two of the nation’s favourite soaps, she has also featured in a number of other popular shows, including Death in Paradise, Casualty, Midsomer Murders, and even participated in Bear Grylls: Mission Survive in 2016, where she was the fourth celebrity to be voted off the ITV programme.
EastEnders is set to return on Wednesday (July 9) at 8 p.m.
