Michelle Collins tells TV Magazine 'I'm definitely not quitting'

Michelle Collins tells TV Magazine 'I'm definitely not quitting'

The 50-year-old London actress came under fire from critics for her Manchester accent when she joined the ITV show in 2011.

But speaking to The Sun’s all-new TV Magazine, the star confirmed: “I’m definitely not quitting.”

Michelle — who plays landlady Stella Price in Corrie — said: “Having been a jobbing actor for so long, I’d forgotten the attention you get when you’re in a soap.

“It was a real shock when the press criticised my accent, because I’d ‘done northern’ before and never been criticised for it.

“I did get to the point where I said to people high up: ‘Should I just resign? I’ve had enough. I can’t do this.’

“But they said no, absolutely not. They told me to fight it and get through it. So I did.”

But the star — who first made a name for herself as Ian Beale’s first wife Cindy on EastEnders — admitted that the attack has left her unable to watch herself on the show.

She said: “The enormity of the criticism made me too scared to watch Corrie on the telly. I still can’t.”

The single mum-of-one confessed to finding it hard to find a man with her busy work schedule.

She said: “I’ve been on a few dates. But honestly, I don’t have time. And I’m not in to being set up by mates.

“Men need a lot of attention. And the minute you turn your back, they’re up to something.

“I’ve never been one of those women to go out with a gaggle of girls to ‘find a man’.

“I’d rather go out with gay friends and be the only woman and be the centre of attention.”

“I get a lot of MILF mail. I keep getting MILF-ed on Twitter.

“All these young guys are going: ‘For an older woman, you’re pretty hot.’ It’s quite nice having attention from younger men.”

Michelle reveals her top five soap icons:

• EastEnders’ Dot Branning

“I love Dot and I love June Brown, who plays her. When I left EastEnders, I did a play called The Verdict in Leeds with June. We spent three weeks together and had a brilliant time. She’s very naughty but in a lovely way. I’ll always remember her two-hander with Ethel Skinner [Gretchen Franklin]. Dot’s wonderful.”

• EastEnders’ Ian Beale

“I think Adam Woodyatt’s great in EastEnders, but because he’s been there so long, people take him for granted. He should get more credit. But that’s what it’s like in soaps, people get used to you. They don’t think you’re acting â€" they just think you’re being yourself.”

• EastEnders’ Den Angie watts

“Den [Leslie Grantham] and Angie’s [Anita Dobson] chemistry was amazing. People loved that ‘will-they-won’t-they-stay-together?’ thing. They were very Liz Taylor and Richard Burton â€" but in Walford. No one likes a TV couple who are actually getting on well. You want that conflict.”

• Coronation Street’s Elsie Tanner

“I love the old-school Corrie, and Pat Phoenix as Elsie was such an icon. My memories of watching her and Hilda Ogden [Jean Alexander] as a child are so vivid. There was hardly any telly then, so we were avid viewers. Corrie was the highlight of the week â€" the actors were like today’s pop stars.”

• Coronation Street’s Hayley Roy Cropper

“I love Hayley [Julie Hesmondhalgh], and Stephanie Cole as Roy’s mother Sylvia has some great lines. David Neilson [Roy] is just the loveliest man. They’re the ultimate professionals and are both so entertaining.”

Read the full interview in the newTV Magazine, free with The Sun today.