Former EastEnders star Michelle Collins slams critics who call her a ‘cougar’ over 22-year age gap with her boyfriend
FORMER EastEnders actress Michelle Collins has slammed critics who call her a "cougar" over the 22-year age gap between her and boyfriend Mike Davison.
Michelle, who famously played Cindy Beale in the BBC soap, said she's fed up of being branded the term and finds it "demeaning".
Michelle, 56, and Mike, 34, have been together for five years and have largely kept their romance out of the limelight.
Speaking to the , she said: "Mike is 22 years younger than me and I'm regarded as a predator.
"It drives me mad. People call him my toyboy beau. He's nearly 35, for God's sake.
"He turned to me the other day and said, 'Surely I'm not still your toyboy, am I?'
"I laugh about it now but it is annoying. And I hate that word cougar. I can't stand it. I find it so demeaning. A cougar is a predator going around looking for young flesh. I'm certainly not like that.
"But then, women are judged far more harshly than men. And, funnily enough, often by other women.
"If people think I look old enough to be his mum then let them! There's nothing I can do about it. It's one of the downsides, I suppose, of being in the public eye.
"No-one mentions an older man and a younger woman, do they? Nobody goes on about Rod Stewart's wife Penny being nearly 30 years younger than him!"
The actress said she's kept their relationship private as she wants their romance to last.
She added: "He's quite a shy person. And, anyway, I don't want to jinx anything. The minute you start talking about these things, you tempt fate."
Meanwhile, Michelle says she stills gets recognised for playing Ian Beale's cheating wife Cindy from 1988 until 1998.
"She just won't go away!" she laughs. "I get called Cindy even today! When I was in panto they insisted on inserting a Cindy reference into the script.
MOST READ IN TV & SHOWBIZ
"I was 26 when I first started playing her and 37 when I finally left. So she was a major part of my life at a time when the show was attracting huge audiences.
"It felt like I lived with her 24/7. I couldn't sneeze without being in the papers. In the end, I had to move on for my own sanity."
In June 2011 Michelle joined the cast of EastEnders’ rival soap Coronation Street as Stella Price, new landlady of the Rovers Return pub and left the role in 2014.
Got a story? email [email protected] or call us direct on 02077824220.
We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.