Jenna Russell
“I think it’s hard for Michelle to get sympathy at this point”
Humiliated Michelle takes her first steps on the road to redemption this week, as she starts her community service.
The shamed former teacher was lucky to avoid prison after crashing her car into Ian’s chippy on the night that her affair with 17-year-old Preston was revealed, and must now accept her punishment.
As she’s forced to clean up the streets where the accident took place, can Michelle convince the rest of the Square that she’s also cleaning up her act?
“It’s interesting, as she’s not a new character – she’s a much-loved character from the past,” explains actress Jenna Russell, who plays her. “I think it’s hard for Michelle to get sympathy at this point. I realised once I’d officially joined the cast that my first big storyline would not be something you’d necessarily side with her on!”
It’s true that Michelle’s behaviour has hit her loved ones hard, especially her brother Martin and his daughter Bex. Thankfully for Michelle, Sharon has been her rock. So when Michelle begins her first day on the job, sweeping the roads and scrubbing graffiti, her mate is there to offer support.
“There are a lot of people who Michelle has hurt,” sighs Jenna. “She has to make things up to everyone – Martin, Bex,
Ian, Louise, Phil and even little Dennis. The only person who has stood by her throughout this situation is Sharon, who has come back and handled it all brilliantly. She’s the only person who has known the truth while Michelle has been too ashamed and embarrassed to apologise.”
Michelle’s discomfort is made even worse when spiteful teens Louise, Madison and Alexandra poke fun at her as she carries out her chores. Nevertheless, Michelle ends the week determined to fix her life – and goes for an interview.
“Ultimately Michelle can’t sink any lower, so hopefully we can build her up and get to know her a bit out of crisis mode,” muses Jenna. “It would be good to see more of her as the woman she is now, 20 years on from when viewers last knew her.”
However, Michelle is dealt some tough news when she receives word that her husband Tim wants a divorce. Is his bombshell likely to send her off the rails again, or is it just what she needs to make a fresh start?
“I’m hoping that things for her are calm for a little while, and that she makes good on her errors of judgement and how badly she’s handled things,” shares Jenna. “That’s what’s great about doing a show like Eastenders – you have no idea what’s in store for you. It’s scary, but exciting!”
“Michelle can’t sink any lower, so hopefully we can build her up”