Latest news with #ItWorxLimited
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders' Michelle Collins takes break from soap to play blonde bombshell
EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Collins is taking a break from EastEnders to tread the boards as Marilyn Monroe in a one-woman show at the Edinburgh Festival next month As EastEnders' villain Cindy Beale, Michelle Collins is used to dropping bombshells… but now she's set to tread the boards as the ultimate blonde bombshell, Marilyn Monroe. Michelle is taking a break from the BBC soap to star in a one-woman show at the Edinburgh Festival next month. And the dark comedy Motorhome Marilyn has been a labour of love for Michelle, 63. She said: 'It's been years in the making so I can't wait to get it out there but I'm very nervous. "Think Shirley Valentine meets the Coen Brothers meets Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire. It's one of the most terrifying things I've done. My lines are in my handbag everywhere I go.' The play, inspired by Michelle's real-life encounter with a woman known as Motorhome Marilyn, is about a Monroe-obsessed actress' heartbreaking failure to live up to the icon's fame and beauty. Michelle has big dreams for the show. She said: 'I'm hoping it will eventually go on TV.' But she assures 'Enders fans that she will be back on Albert Square after a month-long break. Michelle joined EastEnders as scheming Cindy in 1988 but left 10 years later and went on to appear in Coronation Street and Casualty. Cindy's cheating ways – mainly at the expense of ex-husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) – earned her a reputation as an Albert Square homewrecker. She even tried to kill Ian before fans were led to believe that she had died during childbirth in prison. But when Cindy returned to Walford in 2023 after a 25-year break, it was revealed she had actually been put into witness protection under a new identity. She is now also the ex-wife of George Knight (Colin Salmon) and has sparked plenty of drama since her return by having an affair with George's estranged son, Junior (Micah Balfour). At the Tric Awards last month, Michelle said of her character: 'There's been lots of trials and tribulations with the men around. 'People are seeing a different side of Cindy… it's exhausting being a b**ch all the time. She's been on her own for a while, and it's good for her. She's being a good granny. I can't believe I'm saying that about Cindy.' Michelle's success back on the Square is being reflected in her bank balance. Accounts show she has almost £200,000 cash reserves in It Worx Limited, which handles her TV work. This is up from £20,000 before her new deal on EastEnders. This comes after Michelle revealed that her dramatic comeback as the iconic Cindy Beale in EastEnders has paid off not just creatively, but financially, with her personal company, It Worx Limited, seeing a major surge in earnings following her return to Albert Square. The actress, who founded the company in 1996 to manage income from her television work, saw its cash reserves jump from just £20,000 to nearly £200,000 in the year ending March 2024. According to newly published Companies House records as seen by The Sun, she now faces a Corporation Tax bill of £69,694, suggesting her earnings from the period were roughly five times that amount. Despite the financial success, Collins admitted she initially felt uncertain about reprising her role as Cindy after 25 years off-screen.
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Michelle Collins pockets six-figure payday as EastEnders return boosts earnings
Actress Michelle Collins has seen a major financial boost following her EastEnders return, with her company It Worx Limited jumping majorly financially Michelle Collins has revealed that her dramatic comeback as the iconic Cindy Beale in EastEnders has paid off not just creatively, but financially, with her personal company, It Worx Limited, seeing a major surge in earnings following her return to Albert Square. The actress, 63, who founded the company in 1996 to manage income from her television work, saw its cash reserves jump from just £20,000 to nearly £200,000 in the year ending March 2024. According to newly published Companies House records as seen by The Sun, she now faces a Corporation Tax bill of £69,694, suggesting her earnings from the period were roughly five times that amount. Despite the financial success, Collins admitted she initially felt uncertain about reprising her role as Cindy after 25 years off-screen. Speaking at the TRIC Awards at Grosvenor House in London, she said: 'I didn't know if people would be happy that she was back. I really didn't know, you have to take that risk! But I think she's gone down quite well.' Since her shock return, following a twist that revealed Cindy had faked her death and lived under the alias Rose Sawyer in witness protection, Collins has thrown herself back into the soap's most outrageous storylines. Now entangled in messy relationships and dramatic feuds, Cindy's latest arc includes an affair with her ex-husband George Knight's son, Junior. Collins says audiences have embraced the character's villainous streak. 'I think people are liking her,' she said. 'People don't want to see nice Cindy. She was nice for a while, and they don't want to see nice Cindy - I promise you, they don't. "Sometimes I'll pick up the scripts and I'll go, 'Oh no, you can't. Really? Having an affair with his son? No, it'll be fine, people love her.'' Michelle originally joined the cast in 1988, before returning in 1992 for a longer stint. Her 2023 return marked a major moment in soap history, with the twist that she had never actually died in prison as previously believed. Outside of EastEnders, the 63-year-old is preparing to debut a one-woman show titled Motorhome Marilyn at the Edinburgh Festival this summer. The play follows a Marilyn Monroe impersonator on the road, and Collins has been granted a month-long break from filming to take part. While she's remained quiet about how Cindy will temporarily leave the Square, she hinted that details of her character's exit will be revealed soon.
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
EastEnders star Michelle Collins raked in staggering SIX figure sum for soap return as her salary is revealed
The star is set to take on a 'strange' new role over the summer un-beale-ievable EastEnders star Michelle Collins raked in staggering SIX figure sum for soap return as her salary is revealed SOAP legend Michelle Collins has spoken about her return to EastEnders as the infamously evil Cindy Beale - and the 'risk' has paid off handsomely. As well as playing the Walford villain, actress Michelle also runs a firm called It Worx Limited - which she started in 1996. 4 TV star Michelle has rolled in the cash after reprising her role as Ian Beale's ex Credit: BBC 4 The soap star's business is booming again since she returned to the TV role Credit: Getty It takes in cash from her telly work and its bottom line has been swelled by money from her lucrative EastEnders contract. The business was down to £20,000 just before she inked her new deal. But figures sent to Companies House and published this week for the 12 months to March this year show cash reserves of almost £200,000. And she has a Corporation Tax bill of £69,694 – meaning her earnings were around five times that sum. Even though Michelle was thrilled when the show's former executive producer Chris Clenshaw asked her to come back to Albert Square, the star wasn't sure how Cindy would be received by viewers. Speaking at the TRIC Awards at Grosvenor House in London, Michelle said: "I didn't know if people would be happy that she was back. I really didn't know, you have to take that risk! "But, I think she's gone down quite well." Cindy - who is the former wife of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) and the ex-wife of George Knight (Colin Salmon) - has caused a lot of drama since her return, such as having an affair with George's son Junior (Micah Balfour). But Michelle thinks Cindy's bad behaviour has gone down well with EastEnders' viewers. She said: "I think people are liking her. Cindy Beale leaves Walford in shock EastEnders moment - but she vows revenge "People don't want to see nice Cindy. She was nice for a while, and they don't want to see nice Cindy - I promise you, they don't! "Sometimes I'll pick up the scripts, and I'll go, 'Oh no, you can't. Really? Having an affair with his son? No, it'll be fine, people love her.'" The actress first joined EastEnders as scheming Cindy in 1988 for a two-year stint. She returned in 1992 for six years before taking a longer break. The 63-year-old thrilled fans with a shock comeback to the BBC soap after a 25-year hiatus in 2023. It was revealed that Ian Beale's ex did not actually die during childbirth in prison and was instead put into witness protection under a new identity - Rose Sawyer - for decades. The star is set to take to the stage this summer in a one woman show at the Edinburgh festival, called Motorhome Marilyn - a play about a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. EastEnders bosses have let her have a month off, but Michelle has kept tight-lipped about how writers will create Cindy's exit storyline. 4 Michelle as super-villain Cindy Beale on EastEnders Credit: BBC 4 Actress Michelle made a welcome return to Walford in 2023 Credit: Getty
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders star Michelle Collins raked in staggering SIX figure sum for soap return as her salary is revealed
SOAP legend Michelle Collins has spoken about her return to EastEnders as the infamously evil Cindy Beale - and the 'risk' has paid off handsomely. As well as playing the Walford villain, actress Michelle also runs a firm called It Worx Limited - which she started in 1996. 4 4 It takes in cash from her telly work and its bottom line has been swelled by money from her lucrative EastEnders contract. The business was down to £20,000 just before she inked her new deal. But figures sent to Companies House and published this week for the 12 months to March this year show cash reserves of almost £200,000. And she has a Corporation Tax bill of £69,694 – meaning her earnings were around five times that sum. Even though Michelle was thrilled when the show's former executive producer Chris Clenshaw asked her to come back to Albert Square, the star wasn't sure how Cindy would be received by viewers. Speaking at the TRIC Awards at Grosvenor House in London, Michelle said: "I didn't know if people would be happy that she was back. I really didn't know, you have to take that risk! "But, I think she's gone down quite well." Cindy - who is the former wife of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) and the ex-wife of George Knight (Colin Salmon) - has caused a lot of drama since her return, such as having an affair with George's son Junior (Micah Balfour). But Michelle thinks Cindy's bad behaviour has gone down well with EastEnders' viewers. She said: "I think people are liking her. Cindy Beale leaves Walford in shock EastEnders moment - but she vows revenge "People don't want to see nice Cindy. She was nice for a while, and they don't want to see nice Cindy - I promise you, they don't! "Sometimes I'll pick up the scripts, and I'll go, 'Oh no, you can't. Really? Having an affair with his son? No, it'll be fine, people love her.'" The actress first joined EastEnders as scheming Cindy in 1988 for a two-year stint. She returned in 1992 for six years before taking a longer break. The 63-year-old thrilled fans with a shock comeback to the BBC soap after a 25-year hiatus in 2023. It was revealed that Ian Beale's ex did not actually die during childbirth in prison and was instead put into witness protection under a new identity - Rose Sawyer - for decades. The star is set to take to the stage this summer in a one woman show at the Edinburgh festival, called Motorhome Marilyn - a play about a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. EastEnders bosses have let her have a month off, but Michelle has kept tight-lipped about how writers will create Cindy's exit storyline. 4 4
