‘I Never Thought I'd Be A Mum'

Michelle Collins opens up about motherhood, beauty and what’s next for her acting career.

- Chloe Andrews

She became a regular on the nation’s screens as feisty Cindy Beale in EastEnders from 1988 to 1998, and Michelle Collins went on to solidify her soapstar status in 2011 by joining Coronation Street as Stella Price.

But despite being off our screens for the past couple of years, Michelle, 55, has been busier than ever, turning her hand to a new venture – launching her own skincare range, Pellum Vero (‘skin truth’ in Latin). So what made her swap acting for beauty?

‘It came out of the blue in a sense. I was going to endorse something else and I thought, “I don’t like these products. I don’t want to endorse them,”’ Michelle explains. ‘Then I fortuitously met somebody who said, “OK, so why don’t we help you?” and it went from there.’

After a lengthy two-year process, Michelle describes her new skincare range – which includes an anti-ageing serum and a day and night cream – as her very own ‘test tube to baby’ project.

And as we meet with Michelle in London’s Covent Garden, it is evident that she’s not only looking great, but feeling fantastic, too. She tells us, ‘To be honest, I feel better than I did when I was 25. I look after myself a lot more than I did when I was 25, even 35.’