Michelle Keegan is one of the most recognisable faces on Coronation Street at the moment as the no nonsense Tina; it’s hard to believe that it’s just two years since she joined the popular soap.
And awards may be coming her way left right and centre but the young actress has moved away from the Corrie for a little while to help support the Vodafone World of Difference UK Campaign.
I caught up with her to discuss her latest project, life on the street and what lies ahead for Tina.
- You are backing the Vodafone World of Difference Campaign UK can you tell me a little bit about it?
The World of Difference UK campaign aims to get people involved in helping out their local charities that normally you would have to volunteer for unpaid.
With World of Difference you volunteer for two months and the charity that you are working for gets £2,500 for your salary, after taxes you get about a thousand pounds a month.
People who think, "I can't afford to do charity work because I have outgoings and stuff," can get involved because their monthly pay will cover them.
- How and why did you get involved and why did you get involved?
I got involved really because I have always been involved with charities and things like and when I was younger I used to do voluntary work for a veterinary centre and the Salvation Army working at a homeless shelter.
So I have always been interested in it and it's about finding something that you are interested in whether that's people related and get involved, something that is personal to you and has affected you.
- So how can people get involved with World of Difference UK?
You go to the website, vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference and on there you answer questions about where you live and what you would like to get into, whether it is animals or people. You put in your area and choose the charity that you want to work for.
- What do you hope for this campaign?
I just hope that it will get more people involved with charities because it helps your local community really. It's about helping people get together and making a difference to your community.
- If you could go and work for a charity like the campaign suggests where would you go and work and why?
I’m quite interested in animals and that sort of aspect and I have also done something for channel five, not so long ago actually, about puppy farms, because I have got a dog myself you see. And the place that I bought her from, I bought her from a kennel that supports puppy farms and gets puppies from puppy farms, and I was really shocked about it and it’s such a taboo subject that no one really knows about it. So that’s really why I got involved.
- Over the last twelve months you have shot to fame in Coronation Street so how are you finding all of the attention?
Erm (laughs) it’s good but a bit overwhelming, I haven’t really got used to it yet. But this past year has just gone so fast and I feel really lucky to still be in a job that I love.
- You landed the role of Tina in only your second ever audition so how are you finding life on Britain’s most famous street?
It’s still really strange and I have to pinch myself every time I go onto the street because it’s something that myself and so many others have grown up with. I can’t believe that I have been there two years.
- I read that you wanted to work as cabin crew so what made you make the switch to acting?
They didn’t want me (laughs). I tried but they didn’t want me. No I’m glad, maybe it was fate, because if I did work for cabin crew then I wouldn’t be where I am now and I wouldn’t have pursued acting.
- So how did you get into acting in the first place? How did you make that switch?
Well I had always wanted to do I just didn’t know how to get into it once I had left college you see. But then I heard about these acting lessons in Manchester so I started going there in the May, he’s called Mark Hudson he’s a really good acting coach, so I started going to see him in the May and I got the job on Coronation Street in the November. It was a quick turn around really.
- And a string of awards have come your way in such a short space of time the public have really taken to you so how are you finding that?
It’s really really flattering, especially the awards where people take the time out to vote for me, I had no idea that I was going to win any of them so every one was a real shock and it felt like I had really been accepted by the public.
- It was Sexiest Female at the British Soap Awards so who do you thank for an award like that?
I thanked my family who voted, that’s probably the reason that I won (laughs). It’s very flattering to win awards like that but they obviously haven’t seen me in the morning I’m not sexy at all.
- Poor Tina has had a rough ride since arriving on the street so do you ever get your script and think can she not just have some piece and quiet? There’s always some sort of drama going on?
I quiet like it like I like it when she has to go a bit feisty and opinionated.
- So what does your average day at work consist of?
Well it all depends on whether you are doing a storyline I could be there at seven in the morning and not get home until eight at night. But it’s not like bang, bang, bang scene, scene, scene you are normally just waiting around half of the time.
- So what are your dreams and aspirations for your career, and have they changed since you started Coronation Street?
No not really, I have found something that I love doing so I just want to continue in acting. As for the future I really haven’t thought about this I just take every day as it comes really, I still can’t believe that I’m in Corrie.
- So what’s coming up for Tina, without giving too much away?
There’s a massive story line involving the Platts and her dad and that’s coming up soon. At the moment everything is a bit plain sailing for Tina but that’s soon to change.
Michelle Keegan is supporting the World of Difference UK programme, delivered by the Vodafone Foundation, which gives 500 people the power to make a difference by putting something back into the community.To apply before the 3rd November go to vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Michelle Keegan is one of the most recognisable faces on Coronation Street at the moment as the no nonsense Tina; it’s hard to believe that it’s just two years since she joined the popular soap.
And awards may be coming her way left right and centre but the young actress has moved away from the Corrie for a little while to help support the Vodafone World of Difference UK Campaign.
I caught up with her to discuss her latest project, life on the street and what lies ahead for Tina.
- You are backing the Vodafone World of Difference Campaign UK can you tell me a little bit about it?
The World of Difference UK campaign aims to get people involved in helping out their local charities that normally you would have to volunteer for unpaid.
With World of Difference you volunteer for two months and the charity that you are working for gets £2,500 for your salary, after taxes you get about a thousand pounds a month.
People who think, "I can't afford to do charity work because I have outgoings and stuff," can get involved because their monthly pay will cover them.
- How and why did you get involved and why did you get involved?
I got involved really because I have always been involved with charities and things like and when I was younger I used to do voluntary work for a veterinary centre and the Salvation Army working at a homeless shelter.
So I have always been interested in it and it's about finding something that you are interested in whether that's people related and get involved, something that is personal to you and has affected you.
- So how can people get involved with World of Difference UK?
You go to the website, vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference and on there you answer questions about where you live and what you would like to get into, whether it is animals or people. You put in your area and choose the charity that you want to work for.
- What do you hope for this campaign?
I just hope that it will get more people involved with charities because it helps your local community really. It's about helping people get together and making a difference to your community.
- If you could go and work for a charity like the campaign suggests where would you go and work and why?
I’m quite interested in animals and that sort of aspect and I have also done something for channel five, not so long ago actually, about puppy farms, because I have got a dog myself you see. And the place that I bought her from, I bought her from a kennel that supports puppy farms and gets puppies from puppy farms, and I was really shocked about it and it’s such a taboo subject that no one really knows about it. So that’s really why I got involved.
- Over the last twelve months you have shot to fame in Coronation Street so how are you finding all of the attention?
Erm (laughs) it’s good but a bit overwhelming, I haven’t really got used to it yet. But this past year has just gone so fast and I feel really lucky to still be in a job that I love.
- You landed the role of Tina in only your second ever audition so how are you finding life on Britain’s most famous street?
It’s still really strange and I have to pinch myself every time I go onto the street because it’s something that myself and so many others have grown up with. I can’t believe that I have been there two years.
- I read that you wanted to work as cabin crew so what made you make the switch to acting?
They didn’t want me (laughs). I tried but they didn’t want me. No I’m glad, maybe it was fate, because if I did work for cabin crew then I wouldn’t be where I am now and I wouldn’t have pursued acting.
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