Collins struggling with 'Corrie' accent

Michelle Collins is struggling to get to grips with her northern UK accent for 'Coronation Street'.

The former 'EastEnders' actress – who will make her debut on the ITV1 soap playing new Rovers Return landlady Stella Price later this month – admitted she is having to "work hard" to master a Manchester accent.

She told Closer magazine: "I've been working hard with a dialect coach to get the right accent but it's tough. At least I'm very good at pulling pints – I did that when I was an out of work actress.

"I have to keep pinching myself that I'm actually in 'Corrie'."

The 50-year-old actress – who previously played feisty femme fatale Cindy Beale in 'EastEnders' – recently admitted she signed up for the soap so she could pay for her 14-year-old daughter Maia Rose to go to university.

Michelle said: "It is quite nice to have a bit of security in my life because my daughter is 14 and will be off to uni - so she will be able to go now."