EastEnders is gearing up for another dramatic festive season, courtesy of the scheming Cindy Beale. Last year saw Michelle Collins make a sensational return to her role as Cindy, over 25 years since she last graced the BBC soap.
Cindy first made her mark in Albert Square in 1988, and left a decade later following a failed attempt to murder her husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) by hiring a hitman. She's also the mother to Steven, who passed away in 2017, and twins Peter (Thomas Law) and Lucy Beale, with Lucy tragically killed by Bobby Beale in 2014.
Viewers were led to believe that Cindy had died after Ian was informed she'd passed away during childbirth. However, upon her return, Cindy revealed she'd been living under witness protection and had started a new family with ex-husband George Knight (Colin Salmon), with whom she has two daughters, Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford).
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BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)Since her comeback, 'true' to form, Cindy has rekindled her romance with Ian and they are now engaged. However, she's also embroiled in an affair with Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) after attempting to reconcile with his father George.
In stark contrast to her on-screen persona, Michelle Collins enjoys a much quieter family life away from the spotlight of Walford, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Michelle began dating her now-husband, Mike Davidson, in 2012, after being introduced by Michelle's niece, who reportedly worked for Mike in a retail store.
According to The Express, Michelle Collins and her partner Mike, who is 22 years her junior, shared their engagement news in April 2022, a decade after they first met. They exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony at Islington Town Hall in August 2022.
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Sama Kai/Dave Benett/WireImage)In a candid conversation on Kaye Adams' podcast, How to be 60, Michelle confessed that she never envisioned herself getting married.
She revealed: "I've been engaged a few times, but I never thought I would ever get married and actually he also said he would never get married. I said: 'so why did you suddenly decide? Why did you ask me? ' I was intrigued."
Mike's response touched her heart: "He said 'because with your mum gone, I knew how much she meant to you and I felt I wanted to make you feel safe and look after you'. It's such a beautiful lovely thing to say. And I suppose I do feel safe."
Michelle also opened up about her journey to find love, sharing on the podcast: "I just seem to be one of these people who it's taken me a long time to find myself. I was maybe looking in the wrong places, looking for the wrong people."
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Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images for the NTAs)The actress is also a mother to a grown-up daughter, Maia Rose, born in 1996, from her previous relationship with Fabrizio Tassalini. Sadly, Fabrizio passed away on October 31, 2014, after a brave battle with liver cancer at his home in Melbourne, Australia.
Michelle bravely shared her struggles with their separation, admitting that she had contemplated taking her own life during that difficult time. In a candid 2014 interview with The Mirror, she confessed: "I felt like I'd been tipped over the edge. I felt like a failure and found myself sinking lower and lower as the days went on, until in the end I couldn't seem to pull myself out of the hole."
"I remember swallowing some pills. There was no definite plan or explicit decision behind my actions. It just happened."
After overcoming her struggles, the celebrity discovered love once more when she met Mike in 2012.
EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer at 7:30pm
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