MICHELLE Collins is glowing with maternal pride as she sits talking in her dressing room on the set ofITV’s Coronation Street. The actress, who plays Stella Price, the tough landlady of the Rovers Return, has just heard that her teenage daughter, Maia, has done well in her school exams.

“It’s such good news because she’s worked so hard – these were her mock GCSEs – and she’s been conscientious and motivated even though I’m not at home a lot of the time,” says Collins, who spends the week in Manchester filming and returns to her home in London at weekends.

“Of course, as a mum, you feel guilty being away from your child, but at the end of the day, it’s a brilliant part to play, and I’m a single mum who has to make her living.”

Collins split with Maia’s Italian father, Fabrizio Tassalini, two years after her birth.

“Together, Maia and are making this period of our life work, although I have to admit, when we linked up on our mobiles to do ‘face time’ the other morning and I saw her there in school uniform, it did make me want to cry.Ijust wanted to be there to give her a hug and wave her off to school.

“I can’t wait to see her at weekends and I do live a little bit like a monk when I’m working as I don’t really have a social life in Manchester.

“I spend my whole time learning my lines, filming all week – the schedule is pretty full on – and then shove everything into a suitcase and belt back to London for a few days off.

“I will take a little break in May to support her when she takes her GCSEs.”

The personal sacrifice involved in her split life was particularly tough when she first joined the cast of Coronation Street in June 2011.

Initially, Collins, who first found nationwide fame as the scheming Cindy Beale in EastEnders, didn’t have an easy ride as she had to contend with a barrage of criticism from fans about her interpretation of the Northern accent.

“It was a bit of a rocky road but I’ve worked extremely hard to make it work.I still work very hard and I think that’s paid off,” she says.

“Ilove playing Stella because she’s so feisty and her own woman – her affair with a younger man, Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas), is just one sign of that.I know I’ve got some good storylines this year, so hopefully I’m around for a while.

“But Ijust take every day as it comes as I think you should always be a little bit humble in this business – you never know when you could get axed or killed off!”

Her philosophical attitude has been hard won because at one time, Collins admits, she was a workaholic. “I’m still ambitious but not as aggressively ambitious as I used to be.I’m softer around the edges,” she says.

“While I’m totally professional and focused on my career,I also like being defined as a good mum.”

She’s conscious of being a role model to her daughter and, in part because of Maia’s disapproval of her smoking, she gave up the habit two years ago and supports national No Smoking Day, which this year is on March 13.

“I never smoked in front of Maia but she always hated it, and you can’t carry on with the habit and then preach to your children about not doing it. That’s not honest, so I decided to give up, even though it was very hard,” she says.

“Also, one ofmy relatives died of a smoking-related disease andmy grandma inItaly died of emphysema.

“I thought, ‘Why am I doing this? It’s bad for your skin, terrible for your heart and lungs, and decreases your life expectancy’. Frankly, there’s no positives.”

A smoker since she was 15, although she gave up briefly during her pregnancy, Collins, aged 50, had tried unsuccessfully on many occasions to kick the habit.

“I’d had hypnotherapy twice and loads of times I tried going ‘cold turkey’ by just throwing away the cigarettes.I was a big social smoker and sometimes a bingesmoker at weekends.

“My attempts to quit in the past never worked because it’s a powerful psychological and physical addiction and Ifound it too hard to beat on my own,” she says.

“This time I went to the doctor for advice on the best method of quitting to suit me, and together with the fact that I truly wanted to give up and was willing to use willpower,I won the battle.”

She’s delighted that she feels fitter and can see an improvement in her skin and energy levels.

“It’s been great as I’m aware that at my age it’s important to look after yourself, and especially in showbusiness, which is such an appearance-conscious industry.

“I do pilates and yoga, which are really helpful at the moment as I’m recovering from a fractured shoulder following a fall just before Christmas. The exercises keep me supple and fit and help the healing process.”

She’s coy about revealing whether she has a partner.

“I don’t want to tempt fate by talking about my personal life. AllI will say is I’m quite happy, and I want to avoid the ‘curse’ of celebrity magazines, where as soon as people reveal how blissfully in love they are, it all falls apart!

“I’m enjoying life right now. Work’s great and my daughter’s doing well and will hopefully go to university. “I’ve instilled in her the importance of education and empowering yourself by being clever.

“She’s a beautiful girl and although, when the time is right, it will be lovely if she settles down with someone, until then I want her to feel confident and able to be independent and financially independent so she can make her own way in the world.”

Å Michelle Collins supports the Don’t Go Cold Turkey campaign, which is raising awareness among smokers, motivated to quit, that they are up to four times more likely to quit successfully with the help of a healthcare professional rather than by using willpower alone. For more information, visit dgct.co.uk or call the helpline on 0800 002255.