She talks about the criticism she received for her dodgy Northern accent when she first joined Corrie. But it hasn't improved, has it? It's still all over the place. Look, I'm not a St Ella fan. I've tried, really, really hard, but I can't get to like her. I don't find her watchable, she's not lovable and I absolutely hate that she's forced into our faces in almost every scene of every storyline in every episode, saving souls in the back room of the Rovers Return.
This week's Corrie has been more enjoyable of late because she has been in it less. And you notice her absence because it's like a high pitched whine that's been turned off and you can get on and enjoy the business of your favourite soap rather than having to try to blot out a character I can not, just can not, enjoy.
I know she's got her fans, lots of people like St Ella but I'm not one of them and the sooner she goes, the happier this fan will be.
About that continued ropey accent Michelle says: “It was a real shock when the press criticised my accent, because I’d ‘done northern’ before and never been criticised for it. I did get to the point where I said to people high up: ‘Should I just resign? I’ve had enough. I can’t do this.’ But they said no, absolutely not. They told me to fight it and get through it. So I did.”
“The enormity of the criticism made me too scared to watch Corrie on
the telly. I still can’t.”
See also: Michelle Collins: "I have no plans to quit" in response to: Michelle Collins to leave Corrie next year
She was going to resign? Yeah right and the band played believe it if you like. No way is a mediocre actress like Michelle Collins going to give up on the gravy train that is Corrie, while her bessie mate Phil is at the helm. Unless you are special like Suranne Jones, Sarah Lancashire or Kate Kelly, which she is not, its gonna be pretty cold out there! Stuff and nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same towards Stella as I do towards Tracey: like the character, think she should be played by someone else.
ReplyDeleteTotally with you there Glenda. It is impossible to warm to this tacked-on, cardboard cutout character - she is like a failed skin graft:) She doesn't gel with any of the other characters, never has, and never will fit in. Having her feature prominently in Betty's exit storyline was beyond the pale - when they had never shared so much as a single scene together.
ReplyDeleteAs for some people liking her - I don't know of any - except Phil Collinson. Let's hope that once Sue Johnston's character becomes established at The Rovers, the embarrassment that is St Ella will buy a one way train ticket back to that London. Should that happen, I suspect Michelle Collins may be almost as relieved as we long-suffering viewers will be.
Stella *might* have been alright if the character was a snobby southerner whose only reason for coming to Corrie was to find Leanne. Pseudo-posh would possibly work better than northern, as a cross between Annie Walker and Frankie Baldwin. It would have given us some comedy. As it is, we're left with an average actress and a poorly thought out character.
ReplyDeleteSo close but yet so far. :(
ReplyDeleteThe character of Stella could have become an icon of Corrie if the right person had been cast and cronyism hadnt been applied. Great as Cindy Beale in EE 20 years ago, she has never quite gelled as Leannes real mother in our Northern soap. I suspect wont get her contract renewed once Collinson' reign is at an end.
ReplyDeleteSure..yeah..as if. Let me tell you..if Stella left I doubt anyone would notice other than to say, in a couple of months time.."Has anyone seen Stella lately?"
ReplyDeleteNot going to happen.
I'm not a fan of the Stella character - Full Stop!
ReplyDeleteAnd I certainly don't disagree with the derogatory criticisms of Stella. In fact, I'm so in agreement I'm half surprised she didn't elbow her way into the school sports day sack-race hopping past the dads, at some point.
However, having said that, I hope she's referring to the national press etc., and not a prestigious Corrie blog site such as this, with comments from us, ordinary members of the public, when she says:
"The enormity of the criticism made me too scared to watch Corrie on the telly. I still can’t.”
- Because the question has to be asked:
Are we in effect (unwittingly via the wonders of modern Cyberspace) all guilty of some sort of collective bullying? Have we strayed from favourite programme reviewing/appreciation/critiquing and into something else, when it affects an individual so emotionally and personally in their real lives that the actress in question says, that it: "made me too scared"?
What if unbeknownst to us, the actress was highly strung and self-harmed herself because of this?
Are we justified?
(Well, now it's more than one question :)
Danny-K, I realise it's a genuine concern,but ... 1. Bullying only applies if we all logged onto her MC's own site/Facebook page and made nasty comments, 2. We are only talking about her acting ability, not her size, colour or orientation, 3. These actors get paid considerable dosh per episode (that's a lot, in her case!) and should be able to take the flak from Corrie fans, 4. I've enough faith in the moderating of this site that real bullying would not be allowed to appear.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you make a fair point and some of the derogatory remarks about the child actors on Corrie have been a bit much. I doubt whether the children see these comments but they could have a damaging effect.
She might have 'done northern' before, but that's a shed load different from 'doing Salford'. Corrie PTB seem to think anyone north of Derby sounds the same. For a proper Salford accent, Liam's was the best in recent years (and natural too).
ReplyDeleteDannyK - a lot of the problems around Stella are about how TPTB are 'developing' the character, not the person. If MC can't take criticism, wherever she reads it, then she is in the wrong job.
I don't agree with the reference to bullying at all. This is someone who has deliberately chosen a career where her popularity is essential to her success. That's like a politician claiming he/she is being bullied by public criticism of his/her public actions/statements/policies. Same for the kids in this soap; they are working in the same business and it's not like comments on here are being sent to their personal email/said directly and repeatedly to them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comment that Michelle was very good on Eastenders, but I feel she doesn't fit in here. Also, if they were trying to fill Liz's shoes, the producers failed completely! I cringe whenever she's on-screen; her screeching "Ian, I'm talking to you!" was appropriate for playing Mrs. Beale, but she still screeches and Ian's nowhere in sight. Well, bad casting decisions don't last forever.
ReplyDeleteShe should learn what "enormity" actually means.
ReplyDeleteThe word she is searching for is "magnitude" or even "size' or "quantity".
I think that some of the comments on Stella go a little too far sometimes. I stopped reading most comments on this blog some time ago since negative comments about the actor were coming up on most articles even those articles that had nothing to do with her. I think it is pretty clear that most people who read and comment on this blog vehemently dislike her acting and in particular her accent. Do we all need reminding of this fact over and over again in such acerbic tones? I for one could do with a break from all the negativity.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand her. I really wish she'd leave. She spoils my enjoyment of my favourite show. I'll bang about that until the cows come home. I've never felt so strongly about a character before, or so negatively.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone feels otherwise and would like to write a blog post in Stella's defence, do please let me know and your opinion can be aired too as a blog post.
It will be very interesting to see if anyone speaks up in praise of Stella. Perhaps Phil Collinson could explain to us why she is so wonderful that she has to be forced down our throats till we feel like screaming. He appears to have no interest in what Corrie viewers like or don't like, as long as he can push his favourites. Seeing as the viewership of Corrie is now about a third of what it was at its peak, perhaps he should start listening to viewer feedback and constructive criticism. After all, we the viewers want Corrie to be as good as possible - otherwise, what's the point of watching?
ReplyDelete