Michelle Collins’ experience on Coronation Street got off to a bumpy start, but now she’s hit her stride she tells TV Times magazine why even the Wetherfield weather can’t stop her smiling...
Almost 30 years after the Rovers Return’s manageress, Bet Lynch, was trapped in her bedroom as flames ripped through the pub, your character Stella Price suffers the same ordeal…
"I spent two weeks in a pair of pyjamas and, as filming went on, I got dirtier and dirtier – someone said I looked like I was in Les Mis!"
You had to do lots of night shoots in Manchester in mid-February. That must have been tough!
"I really stunk at the end of each day, and it took me about four washes to get all the stuff out of my hair that that had been sprayed in it to make it look black. But I don’t mind; sometimes it’s quite liberating to do something where you’re not bothered about how you look, and at least it cut my time in make-up down!"
Stella thinks she is alone when the smoke alarm goes off. Little does she realise Sunita Alahan is in the cellar. The rest of the Rover’s regulars are at Nick’s Bistro for a ‘Full Monty’ charity night and, when word of the fire reaches them, Karl races to the burning building to rescue his ex…
"There’s a scene where John Michie, who plays Karl, finds me and we’re about to escape, but we see the fire on the stairs and it stops us. We didn’t realise the flames were going to be so fierce and so close to us, and that was a bit hairy, I must say – although we filmed in an old warehouse that was freezing, so it was quite nice to have a bit of warmth."
Were you scared at all?
"To be honest, my biggest fear was when Paul the fireman carries Stella over his shoulder – I thought my pyjama bottoms would fall down and my bum would be on show!"
Has the fire storyline been exciting?
"Stella literally loses everything in the fire, so her nice dresses have all gone. People in the cast have been saying: 'Can I have this?' 'Can I have that?' But it’s been great, and it felt like starring in a mini blockbuster. Two people die in this fire and it’s a big number and a big shock to Stella’s system."
How does it affect her?
"It’s going to totally change the dynamic of her relationship with Karl, and she takes stock of her life and makes some decisions about the future."
Your early days on Corrie were hard-going, as some TV critics were quick to express doubt about an ex-EastEnder being cast in a Northern soap, and pulled no punches in saying your Manchester accent wasn’t up to scratch…
"I suppose that was a surprise. But you just keep your head down and hope it all blows away – and it did all blow away. Touch wood, it’s all fine, now. I didn’t think that was going to happen, but you have to take it in your stride and it feels like such a long time ago, now. I’m just glad that people went with it. You have to be quite tough and get on with it, and prove that you can do it, really."
You live in London. Is it hard traveling between the capital and Manchester during the week?
"The commute is hard; it’s a wrench for anyone being away from your kids. But I’m lucky that my daughter’s very independent and self-motivated. And we speak all the time. I’ve just got an iPhone and we do face time on that, and sometimes I do go back home in the week; it’s only two hours on the train. When you’re a working mum, you have to do it, don’t you?"
