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UNDER-FIRE Corrie newcomer Michelle Collins is under extra pressure over her controversial move north from her teenage daughter.
Maia Rose, 15, has made no secret of hating her mum’s switch from the capital 200 miles away. She tweeted: “I HATE Manchester. Wish I was back in London.”
And Maia dropped sensational hints that Michelle, 50, who plays new Rovers landlady Stella Price, may not stay.
The teen revealed that plans to get her a nanny to look after her in London could be dropped as Michelle, who has been criticised over her dodgy northern accent, agonises over a move back south.
Maia tweeted: “It depends if she is still in you know what…”.
Ex-EastEnders star Michelle and *producer Phil Collinson went on an *unprecedented public relations mission last week to dismiss claims that viewers are turning off because of their dislike of the new Price family.
And Phil, 41, later denied he hired Michelle because they are old mates. He said: “Michelle’s casting was completely democratic. It was made by committee and absolutely not my decision alone.”
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The stars of Coronation Street have reportedly started talking to newcomer Michelle Collins in Cockney *rhyming slang.
The actress made her debut on the soap last month as Stella Price, but has received criticism for her attempts at a Northern accent.
In a bid to cheer her up, co-star Ryan Thomas, who plays Jason Grimshaw, started putting on a Cockney accent while talking to the former EastEnders star in between takes.
Collins found it so funny that other cast members have now joined in, the Sunday Mirror reports.
"Michelle has been having a really tough time of it lately," a source said. "This was the cast's way of saying they are on her side. It really cheered her up."
Collins has reportedly been handed a last-chance storyline to help Stella become accepted by viewers.
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Coronation Street newcomer Michelle Collins has pledged her commitment to ensuring that Stella Price becomes one of the soap's "great" characters.
The former EastEnders actress recently found herself at the centre of controversy when tabloid reports criticised her attempt at a Northern accent for the role of Stella. It was later alleged that the new arrival could be axed by bosses, but Collins and Coronation Street's producer Phil Collinson soon spoke out to rubbish the claims.
Reflecting on last week's row in a new interview with OK magazine, Collins commented: "What is hurtful is that it is just untrue. I have had so many texts from people saying, 'Oh sod 'em'. And I thought, no, I'm not going to be dignified and sit this one out.
"It's not a true representation of what the public think. When I'm bouncing about, working in London and Manchester, people are coming up to me and telling me that they're loving what I'm doing."
Collins continued: "I've been made so welcome. I'm a big girl. I can take it! And I ain't going anywhere, so get used to it! I'm going to do my darndest to make Stella one of the great Corrie characters."
Coronation Street's new recruit added that she was disappointed over cricket star Freddie Flintoff's recent comments on her performance. Last month, he tweeted: "Can't get my head round Cindy off EastEnders trying to talk with a northern accent. Just need Jack Duckworth to pop up in the Queen Vic giving it a bit of rhyming slang!"
Collins told the magazine: "Oh for God's sake, Freddie! I haven't been in EastEnders for 15 years. I would never slate another person in the public eye - I think that's very unfair of him."
Stella's current storyline sees her trying to build up a relationship with Leanne Barlow after revealing herself as her long-lost mother.
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Stella is growing on me more and more
I wish the Michelle bashing would stop
Oh edit I mean the Michelle Collins bashing please continue bashing Michelle Connor aka Kym Marsh as you may
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Coronation Street star Ben Price has claimed that the soap is becoming more gritty to keep viewers "involved and interested".
Recent press criticism surrounding the ITV1 show's storylines has suggested that the programme is steering away from its roots by tackling darker and more controversial subject matters.
However, in an interview with Bang Showbiz, Price dismissed talk of a crisis on the cobbles and insisted that Coronation Street bosses are merely trying to keep the show relevant.
The actor, who plays Weatherfield businessman Nick Tilsley, commented: "I think the show has definitely steered away from what it started as, but it was launched in black and white. If you don't move on or try anything new you'll still be stuck in black and white with Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner sweeping up the street.
"It was 50 years ago, it's not a series that has been running for three years - it's 50 years old and you have to keep coming up with new storylines to keep the audience involved and interested. The viewing figures are actually up and the audience clearly like these shocking storylines, as they're watching them. That's what matters."
Price added: "We're probably going into the arena that used to be occupied solely by EastEnders and I think people are perhaps making a bit too much of it all. It's good to have been talking about it, we shouldn't forget that."
Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson recently defended the soap's performance, explaining that reports of a ratings crisis were "inaccurate and disingenuous".
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^ That dont excite me much and some of it has happened already
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Ex-Coronation Street star Sally Lindsay has defended Michelle Collins against recent criticism of her Northern accent.
The former EastEnders actress adopted the dialect when she took on the role of new Rovers Return manager Stella Price. However, reports have suggested that her accent was causing displeased viewers to switch the ITV soap off.
"Half the cast aren't from Manchester," Lindsay, who played landlady Shelley Unwin until 2006, told What's On TV. "There's all kinds of weird Northern accents going on."
She continued: "I don't understand what the big deal is about it. OK, so she's not a genuine Manchester accent, but you don't get that unless you're from Manchester."
Lindsay recalled how she received "horrible" criticism when she first joined the serial in 2001.
"When I went behind that bar I had so much rubbish written about me and six months later I was the best thing that had ever happened to the show," she said. "And it's horrible because you're thinking, 'Why? What am I doing wrong?'
"I did used to look down the camera, which was a slight problem, but I got over that, but I just think it's nonsense and it's awful it's happened to one person."
Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson recently hit back at "inaccurate and disingenuous" press claims made about the soap's ratings.
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Its not just Michelles dodgy accent that has viewers turning off Corrie. Its her unbelievable character her ridiculous partner and hateful daughter combined with a pitiful storyline. Shes not that good an actor either
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thats what my dad has said, he was like the accent doesnt bother him, its the fact shes not really a good actress in this or in other things she has done!
