Michelle Keegan credits her Coronation Street character's eye-catching jewellery for her reputation as one of TV's most attractive women – she won the title of Sexiest Female at the Soap Awards from 2009 to 2013. "Maybe I've got body dysmorphia, but I don't think my body is that good. When I look in the mirror I see someone quite normal - on a good day, 7 out of 10, on a bad day, 4," she said. "I think people vote for me to win these awards because they like Tina McIntyre. Maybe it's her earrings."
Of her final, win she said: "I didn't expect it this time - I'm old now! I was like: 'This year, it'll be someone else's go'. But I'm chuffed - my mate was like, 'The old girl's still got it'."
'The old girl' was born in Stockport in 1987. A graduate from the Manchester School of Acting, Michelle worked at Selfridges in the Trafford Centre shopping mall and as a check-in agent at Manchester Airport before she appeared on TV screens. She landed the coveted part on her second ever acting audition in 2007 and hasn't looked back since.
© Getty ImagesTina's complex storylines allowed her to show off acting chops and earned her a string of awards including Best Newcomer in 2008. During her time in Weatherfield, her character went through an abortion, suffered the death of her father and acted as surrogate mother, who then refused to hand over the baby. She sported a prosthetic bump during the on-screen pregnancy, much to her frustration.
"By the seventh month I was like, 'Get that bump off me'. It was tight, heavy and a pain to go to the toilet," she said. But she gave it her all when it came to the emotional birth scene: "The birth scenes were mortifying, there were 30 people in the room and I'm sat there, legs apart, and you have to keep doing it over and over to get all the shots. In the end I just went for it. By the end of the day I couldn't speak, I was so exhausted," she said.
Michelle left the Weatherfield cobbles in May 2014. The actress said: "I have had the most amazing six years at Coronation Street and it was such a difficult decision to leave. But I felt it was the right time for me to make the next step in my career. "I will miss Tina and will always be grateful to ITV and Coronation Street for giving me such an amazing role to play for my first ever acting job. "I am very excited about what the coming months hold for Tina and what the future has in store for me."
Michelle Keegan's career post-Coronation Street
© Getty ImagesSince leaving the cobbles, Michelle hasn't looked back and her acting career has gone from strength-to-strength. Her leading role as Georgie Lane in BBC drama Our Girl saw her nominated for several awards, while she has also starred in popular shows including Brassic and Ten Pound Poms.
Meanwhile, Michelle continues to share her love of fashion via her clothing collection for Very.
Michelle's dating life and marriage to Mark Wright
Michelle has had a high-profile love life; after dating Hollyoaks actor Anthony Quinlan from 2006 to 2008 and model Brad Howard from 2008 to 2010, she went out with Max George from chart-topping boyband, The Wanted. The pair were engaged after Max proposed to her with a £10,000 solitaire diamond ring just before her 24th birthday, but they broke up at the end of 2012.
© Getty ImagesMichelle then began stepping out with Essex charmer Mark Wright. Unable to believe his luck, Mark said: "Two years ago I was reading FHM and now my girlfriend is the best looking girl in FHM. I do really love her." The couple announced their engagement in 2013 after nine months of dating. For his romantic beachside proposal, the TV favourite chose to return to Dubai where their love blossomed unexpectedly during a New Year's Eve holiday with friends.
Michelle and Mark married in May 2015, and shared their wedding day exclusively with HELLO! magazine. The couple built their dream home together in Essex and were finally able to move in to the property at the end of 2022.
