EastEnders star reacts to Rose Knight twist
EastEnders spoilers follow.
Whether you saw it coming or not, there's no denying that tonight's EastEnders cliffhanger was some twist.
The closing moments of Wednesday's episode (June 21) saw the missing Rose Knight revealed to be none other than Cindy Beale, was last seen on screen in 1998 and has been presumed since later that year.
Cindy, who is also the mum of Anna and Gina, is returning to the show alongside her ex-husband Ian Beale, with Adam Woodyatt also reprising his role.
Michelle Collins recently spoke to Digital Spy and other media at an EastEnders press event about her return to the show after all this time, and what fans can expect to see from Cindy.
How does it feel to be back?
"We filmed everything on location about six weeks ago and I’m now back filming everything in the Square so that felt very different. But now I’m in there it’s surreal. It’s surreal and it’s nerve-wracking but it’s also very exciting.
Have you ever been approached about returning before?
"I did a Children in Need thing about 10 years ago which was quite fun but people always asked and I’d say ‘Oh never say never’. I didn’t think they could ever do it. It's about timing as well. Life is about timing and it wasn’t the right time before. I think even if it had happened five years ago I probably would have said no.
" It’s about timing and when Chris [Clenshaw] approached Adam and I, we’d both been touring and I said, 'Don’t be silly'. We had a meeting and I said to my agent, 'Oh this is ridiculous, it’s never going to happen’, and they said 'Let’s just go and meet Chris'. So we had this breakfast meeting and he got his laptop out and he reeled it all off. Afterwards, we both went 'Wow, Oh my god'. I was like, maybe this could work."
Has it been hard to keep it a secret?
"We had secret names. The hardest thing has been not being able to tell anybody. And I’ve always had since 26 years ago, 'When are you going back?' And now it’s like I am going back. It’s actually happening and I couldn’t tell anyone."
Did you tell any of your old cast members?
"I haven’t seen Gillian [Taylforth] yet, I haven’t seen Tish [Letitia Dean], I haven’t seen Steve [McFadden]. I have to be taken around because I don’t know where I’m going. But that’s what makes it exciting in a way and it's only my second day."
Did you feel nervous?
"Incredibly nervous. I had a six-page scene with Adam and by the end of that it was like putting on a pair of old slippers. It’s funny because in the old days, we would row coming out of our dressing rooms, we would row going to the set, we would row on set and then we would row coming off set going back to our dressing rooms.
"We spent our entire lives squabbling. It was kind of bizarre. But both of us have mellowed and I think we’re both just kind of comfortable in our lives and it felt like it’s the right kind of time.
"They are matriarchal figures. For me as a woman of a certain age, the soaps have fantastic stories for women. They are matriarchal figures and there aren’t that many shows on TV really that give women of a certain age central characters and show their stories.
"When you get to 60 as a woman, you’re not written off and you get to do these fantastic things. And I think that’s why EastEnders is great because it’s not all about youth. It’s just about people and really strong women. I’ve always played really strong women and Cindy was. I’ve never got rid of Cindy and even younger people know who she was but I suppose that’s the power of social media."
How do you think audiences will react to Ian and Cindy's return as a pair?
"Well, audiences love it, don’t they? They love the character of Ian, and judging from reactions I get in real life, Cindy is a much-loved character too. Whether you like her or not, she had a huge impact on people.
"With everything I’ve done since, I don’t think I’ve ever shaken her off. I hope people will be excited for her return. I think the writing in EastEnders is just so great and that’s what it’s about. I think what’s in store people will be very excited about. I really do."
Were you excited about the Rose Knight twist?
"Yes, I was really excited. She’s complex, obviously Cindy is incredibly complex, but she’s not the same as before. It’s 26 years later and she’s been through quite a lot. I can’t believe how many children she had – I’m still getting my head around that."
What else can we expect from Cindy's return?
"She’s got an entire backstory for where she’s been for all these years. It’s kind of genius how it’s all been out together. Chris has been very caring about things and he knew that it needed to be handled with kid gloves because it is such a huge thing to come back after that amount of time and you want to know that you’ve made the right decision. I don’t know whether I have but I’m liking it and I’m loving being back actually.
"It’s feels like I’ve come full circle, and it’s actually 20 minutes from my house – that’s the most important thing and that’s actually the only reason I’ve gone back [laughs]. Obviously I get to work with Adam again too. It’s exciting and it’s scary but that’s what life is about, isn’t it?"
Further details about Cindy's return and where she's been all these years will be revealed in tomorrow night's extended episode (June 22) airing at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer simultaneously.
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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