Early career After her exams, Collins landed a role in
Mikhail Bulgakov's
The Crimson Island, directed by Lou Stein, at the Gate Theatre. Her career changed direction after performing in the 1978 video for the
Squeeze song "Cool For Cats", and as a backing singer for
Mari Wilson and the Wilsations. The band spent 18 months touring the country. When the band broke up in 1982, she went back into acting and with the help of her friend, the British actor
Tim Roth, she gained a part in a musical with Gary Hutton and
Gary Shail. Collins's first TV appearance was with
Gary Oldman in the BBC drama ''Morgan's Boy
. Other TV credits included: two series of the sitcom Running Wild, where she played Ray Brooks daughter; a part in ITV drama The Bill; a Screen Two production Lucky Sunil
, directed by Michael Caton-Jones and a BBC play Pressures
. She later appeared in three films: Personal Services
, Empire State'' and
Stephen Poliakoff's
Hidden City. Collins appeared in an episode of the BBC's
Bergerac (series 4) in 1985.
EastEnders While she was filming the BBC play
Pressures in 1988, Collins was spotted by
EastEnders producer
Julia Smith, who asked her to audition for the role of
Cindy Williams, who was to feature in 11 episodes of the soap. The manipulative, reckless nature of her character was a hit with viewers so her contract was extended and the character became a major villain in the series. Cindy was the unfaithful wife of
EastEnders stalwart
Ian Beale (
Adam Woodyatt), between 1988 and 1998. During breaks from
EastEnders she filmed the drama
Real Women for the BBC, with
Pauline Quirke and
Frances Barber. On 14 November 2014, Collins reprised the role of Cindy for a short stint for
Children in Need. In May 2023, it was announced that Collins would be returning to the soap after 25 years, alongside Woodyatt, thus resurrecting the character from the dead. Collins returned to the role permanently in June 2023, where it is revealed that Cindy hadn't died in childbirth, but had entered a
witness protection programme and had taken on the identity of 'Rose Knight', the wife of
George Knight (
Colin Salmon) and the mother of
Gina (
Francesca Henry) and
Anna (
Molly Rainford).
After EastEnders After leaving
EastEnders in 1998, her career saw a series of drama roles. These included: two series of
Real Women (BBC One); two series of
Sunburn (BBC One), for which Collins sang the theme song (which was a no. 28 hit in the
UK singles chart in 1999);
Daylight Robbery (
ITV);
The Sleeper (BBC One);
Uprising (ITV): three series of
Two Thousand Acres of Sky (BBC One): the two-part series
Perfect (ITV);
Lloyd and the Hill (ITV) and
Ella and the Mothers (BBC One). In 2003, Collins played Sarah Barton in
Single. In 2003, Collins filmed the BBC drama
Sea of Souls and then went on to star in a film for
Granada/
Channel 4 called
The Illustrated Mum, which told the story of two girls coping with the unpredictable behaviour of their depressed, alcoholic mother. The film, written by
Jacqueline Wilson, was based on the
children's novel of the same name. It was screened over Christmas 2003 and won an
Emmy Award and two
BAFTAs. In 2004, she starred in an episode of
French and Saunders and also starred with fellow
EastEnders actor
Martin Kemp in the ITV drama ''Can't Buy Me Love
. In 2005, Collins starred in the ITV drama The Last Detective and in the BBC drama The Family Man
, alongside Daniela Denby-Ashe, which aired in March 2006. She starred in the West End musical Daddy Cool, and while working during the night there shot sequences for a cameo in the short film Broken
written and directed by Vicki Psarias, which went on to win the several international awards. She also featured in the film Don't Stop Dreaming, released in 2007. She left Daddy Cool
in January 2007 to shoot the Doctor Who'' episode "
42". On 2 July 2007, it was announced that Collins has been cast for the lead role of Karina Faith in new
ITV drama series,
Rock Rivals, produced by
Shed Productions. In 2009, Collins took part in the
BBC Wales programme
Coming Home about her Welsh family history. On 21 May 2009, it was rumoured that Collins had auditioned to star in US drama
Desperate Housewives, but she did not join the cast. In June 2010, it was announced that Collins would make a six-episode guest appearance as a patient's mother in
Casualty. In 2010, she also guest-starred in
Romeo & Juliet at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, playing the Nurse. From 7 April-7 May 2011, Collins starred as Sheila Grundy,
Fred Dibnah's third wife, in
The Demolition Man at
Octagon Theatre, Bolton.
Coronation Street In January 2011, a rumour was posted on
Digital Spy that Collins was in talks to join
EastEnders main rivalling soap
Coronation Street, after she allegedly met with soap's producer and close friend
Phil Collinson. Three months later it was confirmed Collins had joined the cast as
Stella Price, new landlady of the Rovers Return pub, beating
Lisa Maxwell for the role. Her first episode aired on 16 June 2011 and gained a rating of 8.4 million. It was announced on 22 August 2013 Collins had decided to leave
Coronation Street. In January 2014, Collins claimed she was "unhappy" over the lack of screen time for her and her character. Collins filmed her final scenes on 19 February 2014, and made her final appearance as Stella on 2 April 2014.
After Coronation Street Since leaving
Coronation Street, Collins has had various guest roles in television dramas:
Casualty as Samantha Kellman (2014),
Death in Paradise as Annette Burgess (2015), and
Midsomer Murders as Nadine Campbell (2016). In October 2019 Collins appeared in
Casualty as Lorna Rowle/Hammond. In 2016, Collins took part in the
ITV reality series
Bear Grylls: Mission Survive. ==Personal life==