Entertainment
‘I drove home in silence, numb’
Michelle Keegan previously recalled her shock at being told she had bagged a job on Coronation Street.
Actress Michelle, 37 – who recently became a mum for the first time – shot to fame thanks to her role as Tina McIntyre on the ITV soap.
Since then, she has gone on to have a stellar career, starring in the likes of Netflix smash Fool Me Once and BBC’s Ten Pound Poms – which airs tonight (April 13).
And back in 2022, Michelle reflected on the moment she had landed the role on Coronation Street, revealing she was left feeling “completely numb”.
Michelle Keegan made her name on Coronation Street
Michelle made her first Coronation Street appearance in 2008 and remained on the cobbles until Tina’s shock death in 2014.
Following her emotional exit, Michelle became one of the UK’s beloved and popular actors.
From stints on BBC’s Our Girl to the record-breaking Netflix smash, Fool Me Once, the Manchester native has remained booked and busy.
And despite her incredible success, Michelle hasn’t forgotten about her soap roots.
Michelle Keegan ‘completely numb’
In a past interview, Michelle spoke about landing the role of Tina on Corrie, before calling her experience on the soap as “surreal”.
She told The Guardian: “The moment I got the role of Tina McIntrye in Coronation Street the whole world went quiet.”
Recalling the moment, she added: “I’d just turned 20, it was one of my first auditions and getting the part was a shock. I drove home in silence, completely numb, the scripts on the passenger seat next to me.”
Michelle went on to share how shocked she was on her first day on set after being in the green room “watching people eating toast who I’d seen on TV for years”.
She said: “I had become part of a British institution. The whole thing was surreal.”
Michelle ‘very proud’ of soap past
Meanwhile, in a separate interview with The Guardian from 2024, Michelle shared her appreciation for soaps 10 years after her exit.
“It was just such a level of love when you walked into that place,” she said about her soap past. Michelle continued: “It was the best job, the best people. It was a really hard decision to go. I could have stayed there my whole life.”
She then added: “I feel very protective of it and very proud. It comes with a sense of warmth. I hear the music and I’m home.”
Watch Michelle on Ten Pound Poms on Sunday (April 13) at 8pm on BBC One.
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