Why it’s not easy being Michelle Keegan – from divorce rumours to ’embarrassingly’ being voted sexiest woman 12 times
SHE’S stunning, super talented and has even just finished building a sprawling £3.5m Essex mansion with her former TOWIE hunk husband.
Not only that, but Michelle Keegan has most recently won praise for her leading role in the new hotly anticipated eight-part Netflix thriller Fool Me Once, based on the best-selling Harlan Coben novel.
After she show dropped fans rushed to X to hail Michelle’s performance ‘@michkeegan take a bow, brilliant, stunning and thrilling – give this lady an Oscar #FoolMeOnce!, on wrote.
Another said: ‘Another added: ‘Michelle Keegan is not just beautiful, she’s a proper top tier actor. Fool me once is really quite good. #FoolMeOnce’
And they weren’t the only ones.
Hubby Mark, 36, also paid an adorable tribute to her telling his 1.9 million Instagram followers ‘how happy and proud’ he was ‘for this incredible woman I call my wife.’
‘It’s hard for people outside to see the work that goes in to an actor’s life behind the scenes to get to the top,’ he continued. Adding: ‘People might think that it comes easy, they just roll up and do their job but it couldn’t be further from the truth.”
But while there’s a lot for the former ex Corrie star to smile about, it turns out that even some of the most successful stars still have their fair share of problems – especially when it comes to being in the public eye.
From being forced to deny plastic surgery rumours to defending her marriage to Mark Wright, there’s a much darker side to fame….
DIVORCE RUMOURS
Michelle and Mark, who met in 2013, shortly after her split from The Wanted star Max George, have been happily married for eight years.
But like any marriage in the public eye, the celebrity couple are relentlessly plagued with rumours surrounding their relationship.
While some fans assume they never spend any quality time together, others suggest they’re at loggerheads over whether or not to have children.
But despite having busy and conflicting schedules, Mark set the record straight earlier this year, confirming they do spend a lot of time together, but just don’t go posting about it on social media.
Speaking about their relationship, Mark said: “Do you know, whenever there’s a picture of us together people will say ‘rare picture of Mark and Michelle’ or ‘Mark and Michelle reunite after time apart’ we just don’t tell everyone when we do spend quality time together.
“I could be in the house with Michelle for two weeks, but no one will know that because I’m not necessarily posting about it.
“We spend plenty of quality time together and we’ve had plenty of weekends away. We have got stuff booked up.”
Adding to the MailOnline, Mark said: “We spend quality time together just like any other relationship and I’m not just saying that… we genuinely do.”
Earlier this year, Mark sent the rumour mill into overdrive when he made a jokey comment about divorce while co-hosting BBC‘s Morning Live with Kimberley Walsh.
During a segment of the show, a family law specialist revealed that September and January are the most common months for a couple to divorce.
In response, the former TOWIE star quipped: “It’s the September/January thing that’s throwing it for me, I’m like come on October, come on October, I’m still safe.”
The innocent remark made fans rush to social media, leading many to wrongly speculate that the couple were heading for divorce.
However, speaking to OK!, a source said that divorce was “the last thing on their mind” and that the comment made was “just a joke”.
They added: “When they’re together you can see how much they love each other and how happy they are. But others can’t quite get it.”
SURGERY SPECULATION
As well as having to defend the status of her marriage, the 36-year-old has spent several years batting off speculation that she’s undergone cosmetic work – something which she’s repeatedly denied.
“I like the fact people point out that they think I’ve had a nose job,” Michelle said.
“They think I’ve had new cheeks, a new chin – but I haven’t and I don’t think I ever would, if I’m being honest. I’m scared it would go wrong!” She told the Sunday Express back in 2018.
However, she was quick to support anyone who does decide to have any work done, adding: “It’s their face and body and it’s annoying when people slam them for it. Let people live.”
Speaking on the subject of surgery in 2015, the 36-year-old actress noted: “[The speculation] doesn’t really upset me. People always say, ‘Have you or haven’t you?’
“But it’s my business. It’s my face. So what if I have or haven’t? I don’t read it when people speculate about it.”
And, during an interview with Alan Carr in the same year, Michelle denied she had her teeth fixed, noting that they were her own.
She clarified: “Just to say… I have 100 per cent not had my teeth done… They are MY teeth. So I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks.”
After rumours surfaced that she’d undergone a breast enhancement operation in 2014, a spokesperson for Michelle vehemently denied the claims.
VOTED SEXIEST FEMALE 12 TIMES
The former Corrie star was crowned sexiest female a whopping 12 times at the British Soap Awards and Inside Soap Awards between 2008 and 2014.
But while some may take the award as a huge compliment, the brunette beauty admitted that she finds it “embarrassing” and “frustrating.”
Michelle was playing barmaid Tina McIntyre in the soap at the time, who had a series of heart-wrenching and heavy story lines – including topics of abortion, murder, surrogacy and perjury.
So she says the title was something she’s never been “comfortable” with.
“It was embarrassing. Because I was in a lot of heavy storylines. There was one where I felt like I was crying every day for months and months.
“And then at the end of it, when the accolade was sexiest female, it was so frustrating,” she said, speaking to The Observer.
“And the funny thing is, I’m not sexy! I’ve never been sexy! My friends have always laughed about it. Even when I say the word it makes me cringe.”
The Brassic actress, who posed for sexy spreads in men’s magazines back in the day, revealed that she did so because she “felt pressure” at the time and is a “bit of a people pleaser.”
She added: “I try to go with the flow. But there was something in me that was like, ‘I really don’t want this. I don’t want to be on the front cover in my underwear.’
“So, eventually, I gathered the courage…to ask for a cardigan.”
CONSTANTLY JUDGED
Like any celebrity, Michelle Keegan constantly finds herself under the microscope and has previously spoken out about feeling judged.
The actress, who left her role in Corrie after six years, admitted she felt enormous pressure to impress viewers when she nabbed her first acting role in BBC drama Ordinary Lies after leaving the popular soap.
“I felt there was so much pressure after leaving Corrie. I knew I had to make the right decision about my first role,” she said, speaking to the Daily Star at the time.
“Everyone was waiting to see what I did and getting ready to judge me if I made a mistake.
“I am really nervous about how it does in the ratings. I do feel a lot of pressure but I just hope it does well.
“But I know the producers and BBC are very happy with the outcome so hopefully the viewers will like it too.”
The following year, Michelle played soldier Lance Corporal Georgie Lane in BBC drama Our Girl, but rather than focusing on her acting prowess, she notes how viewers were more distracted by her appearance.
“I totally threw myself into it. It was a really successful show, and it was so nerve-racking.
“But the main thing I remember were the comments about how I was wearing too much mascara,” she said, speaking to The Observer.
“It wasn’t about my work, it was just about what I looked like.”
Despite doing a plethora of research before taking on the role, she added: ““But that’s when I realised, no matter what I do, that’s what’s going to happen for me.
“There’s always going to be comments about how I look, in any role that I do. I’ve learned to just sort of…deal with it.”