SHE’S known to millions as iconic EastEnders character Cindy Beale – the chaotic mother-of-six often battling tense relationships with her children.
And for Michelle Collins it seems her reality is mirroring at least part of Cindy’s fictional world in Albert Square.
The Sun can reveal the 63-year-old is dealing with personal heartbreak after being frozen out by her only child.
Friends close to the soap star have told how Michelle has been estranged from daughter Maia, 29, for four years and is desperately trying to reconnect with her.
A well-placed source said: “It’s very sad. I don’t know if they will ever speak again. Michelle isn’t as brash as the public might think – she’s actually very sensitive and being cut off by Maia has affected her terribly.”
Maia’s father Fabrizio Tassalini – who Michelle had a three year relationship with in the 90s – tragically passed away in 2014 after a battle with liver cancer.
Earlier this year Michelle paid tribute to Fabrizio with a touching post on social media, writing: “You were a big part of my life and the father of my daughter Maia.
“This was on her first birthday at her party. We were so proud as she started walking that day, she is 28 now and a beautiful young woman inside and out.”
While Michelle’s post would suggest things between her and Maia are fine, our insider says that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Michelle thinks that if she acts like everything is normal then eventually Maia will come back to her,” they said. “But on the inside her heart breaks every time she thinks about the situation.”
Sources say even Michelle doesn’t quite know the real reason Maia wants nothing to do with her, despite many attempts over the years to get to the bottom of it.
We’re told there’s always been some friction between them as a result of Michelle’s job, with Maia – who graduated from Bristol University with a First Class honours degree in 2019 – preferring a life far away from the spotlight.
TELLING MOVE
Michelle should be on cloud nine right now: in 2022 she married partner Mike Davidson, 41, in an intimate ceremony at Islington Town Hall.
Then a year later came her triumphant return to EastEnders – 25 years after her character was believed to have died off-screen.
But Michelle and Mike’s big day was overshadowed by Maia snubbing the event in a very telling move.
At the time, the actress explained her daughter’s absence by simply claiming she was “away”.
She told OK! Magazine: “It was very emotional because, as Michael said in his speech, we’ve lost a lot of people and there were a lot of people who couldn’t be there.”
And pals say Michelle is dreading ringing in another New Year without Maia and is praying for a reconciliation in 2026.
Our insider said: “Michelle feels like she has very little to celebrate right now. She’s missing so much of her daughter’s life and wants nothing more than to make things right.
“If Maia got in touch tomorrow she would be happy to brush it all under the carpet – all she wants is things to go back to the way they were.”
The Sun has reached out to Michelle’s representative for comment.
