Michelle Collins: 'Coronation Street viewers now like my accent'

Michelle Collins has said that Coronation Street viewers are generally more positive about her accent now.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the Stella Price actress insisted that she does not believe her Manchester twang has altered at all since joining in June last year.

Producer Phil Collinson and various cast members have publicly defended Collins after her debut performance as the show's new Rovers Return landlady drew criticism from some sections.

She admitted: "It's funny, people now come up to me and say, 'Oh your accent is much better now', but I haven't changed a thing!"

Referring to her role on EastEnders, which she played between 1988 and 1998, the 51-year-old added: "I knew it was always going to be hard for people to adjust to seeing Cindy Beale in the Rovers at first.

"But I think now viewers have accepted me a bit more, it's great."

Collins, whose character is currently involved in a gambling storyline, recently signed a new contract with the ITV soap.

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