EastEnder's Cindy Beale's real life from age-gap love to mental health trauma

24 August 2023 , 17:00

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Cindy is back on EastEnders (Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

Cindy Beale is set to make a dramatic return to Walford after leaving Albert Square back in 1998 when she was arrested for attempted murder. The feisty blonde caused a stir on the show for years - from lying to Ian about being the father of her child to having an affair and faking her own death as she went into witness protection.

Actress Michelle Collins has reprised her role as the iconic EastEnders character. Following her return, we've taken a look at the 61-year-old's life away from the screen which is a world away from Cindy's hard-worn life.

The TV star has previously told how her decision to walk away from the soap was down to the dramatic nature of the role. She told Inside Soap magazine in 2022: "You don't need dramas in your real life when you are playing a character like Cindy! I decided to leave because I felt I needed to get away from the drama of Cindy and the life I was having. It was lovely because I had great storylines, but it was constant and really full-on. I wanted to get away from being Cindy 24/7."

Michelle is known for her iconic role as Cindy Beale

Michelle who was born in Hackney, London, started training in drama from the age of 14 and after sitting her exams landed a role in The Crimson Island directed by Lou Stein at the Gate Theatre. Her first role in television was alongside Gary Oldman in the BBC drama Morgan's Boy, she went on to appear in a number of films, before landing the part of Cindy in 1988. After EastEnders she starred in a number of dramas including Sundburn on BBC One (which she sang the theme song for) as well as the film adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's book, The Illustrated Mum. In a big twist, the actress later joined the rival soap Coronation Street in 2011, taking on the role of Stella Price, who was to be a new landlady for the Rovers Return pub. She remained on the show for two years but left in 2013.

Outside of her career, the actress previously dated Fabrizio Tassalini and the pair welcomed a daughter, Maia Rose in 1996. However, their relationship ended in 1998 and Michelle has previously confessed that she hit a low point following their split and attempted to take her own life while in Paphone, Cyprus, filming Sunburn.

EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness

She told The Sunday Mirror about the heartbreaking incident in 2014, saying: "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. The question that kept going through my mind was, 'Would anybody miss me if I wasn't here?' Foolishly I somehow decided no one would."

Michelle called her co-star Peter Polycarpou, who took her to the hospital, where she remained for four days. She and her ex, Fabrizio, co-parented Maia until he died of liver cancer at his home in in 2014. The pair had remained on good terms and had both found new loves, with Michelle going on to date Mike Davidson in 2012. The two were introduced by her niece who had worked with him previously, and while Michelle was 22 years older than him, they proved age didn't matter as they got engaged and married in 2022, with the actress looking spectacular in a white jumpsuit.

The star has previously spoken about the criticism she faced dating a younger man, and told the Daily Star in 2018 that she was fed up with the sexist treatment. "Mike is 22 years younger than me and I'm regarded as a predator. It drives me mad," the actress fumed. "He turned to me the other day and said, 'Surely I'm not still your toyboy, am I?'"

Michelle found love with Mike Davidson (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

The star has a daughter named Maia (Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)

As well as her struggles with depression, Michelle has also been open and honest over the years about her battle with anorexia and bulimia. She said she was "dangerously ill" at the beginning of her TV career, and her agent gave her the wake-up call she needed after an audition.

"Later that day my agent called to see if I was OK and told me that actually I had looked so awful the casters had thought I was a heroin addict and wanted to know if I was on drugs," she recalled. "That was the wake-up call I needed." She's since fully recovered but has banned scales from her house because she knows they are "bad for [her]". She added: "If you've been anorexic, it's always in your head and I have days when I still feel fat. But I've learnt how to deal with it and look after myself."

She also previously opened up about her mental wellbeing following an appearance on MasterChef in 2021, admitting she regretted taking part in the celebrity version of the BBC One show. The actress said she "mentally wasn't right" as her late mum Mary was seriously ill battling terminal cancer, leaving the star in a "really bad way". In an interview with Notebook last year, she said: "I shouldn't have done it... We all go through times in our life when we suffer from mental health issues, and we should talk about it."

And Michelle worried fans recently when she revealed she had been rushed to hospital following a health scare. She took to Twitter and said it was a "worrying time", but assured her followers she was on the mend after thanking medical staff for their help and care in April. "Thank you @ nhs @RoyalFreeNHS for seeing me this morning at 9am, been a worrying time but hopefully now all ok," she began. "When it works the @NHSEngland is fantastic. Don’t destroy it #Tories #savethenhs,” the actress added. The following day, she took to social media again to confirm to her fans she was feeling "very well", and was back filming in Devon. "Great day #filming in #Northam. I am very well! #Thankyou. Great cast and crew," she captioned a snap of the set.

Courtney Pochin