Michelle Collins lied to EastEnders bosses before landing the role of Cindy Beale
'EastEnders' legend Michelle Collins almost hurt two soap icons after lying to the soap's late producer and co-creator, Julia Smith.
Michelle Collins almost injured her 'EastEnders' co-stars on her first day.
The 62-year-old actress took on the role of Cindy Beale in the BBC soap opera - which celebrates its 40th anniversary on Wednesday (19.02.25) - in 1988, but was "so nervous" because she had fibbed about her motorbike-riding skills before getting the job.
She told Best magazine: "I was very nervous, only because I had lied to [creator] Julia Smith and told her I could ride a motorbike, and I actually couldn't!
"As soon as I got onto set, they presented me with this bike.
"Julia had seen me in a drama where I played a motorbike dispatch rider, but what I didn't tell her was I was pushed in and out of shot by the prop men.
"She could see that I was very nervous and couldn't ride it properly - I nearly ran Sharon [Letitia Dean] and Michelle [then played by Susan Tully] over!
"Julia came over to me and said, 'You can't ride that bike can you?'
"And I just apologised.
"She said, 'Don't lie to me again!'"
Michelle's character left the soap in 1999 and her character was said to have died off-screen in prison, but she reappeared in 2023 after it was revealed that she had been in witness protection all those years,
Last Christmas, Cindy's affair with Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) was exposed and she was later hit over the head with a shovel by a mystery assailant but after finding out the identity of her attacker, Michelle admitted she was just "chuffed" to be part of the historic week.
She said: "I'm really chuffed to be a part of the 40th...
"All we want to do as an actor is to be challenged and have a great arc, and I've always had that on 'EastEnders'.
