Michelle Keegan: Her past uncovered…
Actress Michelle Keegan’s proud of being from a line of strong northern women, but who really is Our Girl?
Michelle Keegan, star of BBC Army drama Our Girl, recently revealed her fascination with history, saying she is ‘always the one to go into old buildings and say, “Imagine who’s been in this room and touched these walls!”’ Speaking in the opening episode of the new series of BBC’s popular Who Do You Think You Are?, the olive-skinned beauty sheds light on where her Mediterranean complexion comes from – and it’s not the sunny climes of her home town, Manchester. Michelle, 31 on Sunday, is part- Spanish on her mum’s side. ‘My greatgrandmother only spoke Spanish – I can’t remember a time when she didn’t speak Spanish, especially in her later years,’ recalls the ex- Corrie star. ‘She didn’t communicate in English at all!
‘My grandad was from England, but my grandma was born in Gibraltar. And I’d love to find out where we came from even before that.’
Perhaps the most interesting revelation comes from her English grandfather’s side, as we discover Michelle’s greatgreat grandmother, Elizabeth, fought to gain women the right to vote, alongside the leader of the suffragette movement, Emmeline Pankhurst.
Michelle, who is married to former TOWIE star Mark Wright, 31, couldn’t hide her excitement when she found out about Elizabeth’s pivotal role in history.
‘No way! Grandma Elizabeth was a suffragist and friends with Emmeline Pankhurst in the late 1800s,’ she says, reading the scroll that contains her amazing family history.
The Pankhursts were one of Manchester’s most radical families.
‘Emmeline and Elizabeth witnessed at first hand the conditions women had to work under. They were hard times. I can’t believe this was only 100 years ago. It’s making me emotional,’ adds Michelle.
‘From my grandma to my mum, I’ve always been around strong women. Now, looking at my ancestors and my blood line, I totally understand why... I’m really proud of the fact that these women are in me, they’re part of me. That’s what I’m taking forward.’