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Michelle Collins reveals the surprising reason she rejected Strictly Come Dancing

The actress played Cindy Beale in EastEnders

michelle collins
Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
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Michelle Collins has revealed that she was once asked to take part in Strictly Come Dancing. However, the 58-year-old's former agent told her to turn down the opportunity. Speaking to Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway on Thursday's Good Morning Britain, the ex-EastEnders star explained: "I'll be honest, they asked me four years ago and I turned it down because I was with an agent who was a little bit snobby about it. I had just gone with this new agent and she and they said, 'Oh I don't think you should and they have never asked me since.'"

michelle collins gmb© Photo: ITV

Her former on-screen daughter in Coronation Street, Catherine Tyldesley, is appearing in this year’s series. Of her chances of doing well in the BBC show, Michelle said: "She's a sort of musical theatre person, she's a great singer, great mover. She is in her element, she will love it. I hope she does well, I'm sure she will."

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Michelle is best known for her appearances in EastEnders and Coronation Street, which she worries has an impact on the types of role she is offered. "Sometimes as an actor you want to sort play lots of other different things," she confessed. "One does get typecast I suppose and I have this face that everyone thinks that they know. Everyone thinks that they know you, so you always want to do something that’s slightly more challenging where you reinvent yourself." The actress first appeared on the cobbles in June 2011, alongside her daughter Eva (Catherine) and her husband Karl Munro, played by John Michie.

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