Friday, 18 January 2013

'It's that Stella bird from Corrie'

Whilst most celebrities have complained of online bullying, Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has experienced abuse face to face.
The actress described the verbal attack on This Morning on Friday, telling her story of how she was threatened during a 'scary' confrontation with a group of teenagers on a train.
The actress, who plays Stella Price in the long-running ITV soap, said she was on the London Underground on her way to a party for co-star Charlie Condou when the trouble started.
Insulted: Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has described how she was threatened during a 'scary' confrontation with a group of teenagers on a train
Insulted: Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has described how she was threatened during a 'scary' confrontation with a group of teenagers on a train

She told ITV1's This Morning: 'It was about 7.15pm and I was minding my own business.'

'In fact I was reading my script on the train with a pair of reading glasses on, which their first question was: "What are you wearing sunglasses for on the Tube?" I said: "They're actually reading glasses."'
'There was about 10 of them that got on and they said 'It's that Stella bird from Corrie.' I went "Sshh, don't say anything."'
Tube trouble: The actress said she was on the London Underground on her way to a party for co-star Charlie Condou when the abuse started.
Tube trouble: The actress said she was on the London Underground on her way to a party for co-star Charlie Condou when the abuse started.
No support: Michelle said that 'the worst thing was that nobody did anything in the carriage' to help her
Soap swap: The former EastEnders actress joined Coronation Street in 2011
No support: Michelle said that 'the worst thing was that nobody did anything in the carriage' to help her

"It just got really heated,' Michelle thought back, 'It was unpredictable behaviour which I think is quite scary and you can tell that they [had] been drinking.
'When people are en masse - they were only 16, 17 - but it got very, very heated and it wasn't very nice.
But for Michelle, those people on the train just sitting by were just as bad: 'And the worst thing was that nobody did anything in the carriage. One girl actually when I came off said: "Are you OK cos that was really horrible?"'
'It was abusive, verbally very, very abusive behaviour which just isn't very nice actually to anybody.
'You don't need that, and when nobody does anything,' the soap star recalled.
In hindsight, Michelle knows if she was a witness of abuse, she wouldn't stand by idly:
'It's a sad indictment of our society that we don't get involved. I think if it was me I maybe would have done something but you don't know. It wasn't very nice.'

Stella: Her character became the landlady of the Rovers Return
Stella: Her character became the landlady of the Rovers Return