SOAP legend Michelle Collins has revealed she’s picked her wedding dress ahead of marrying toyboy fiancé Mark Davidson.
The actress spent the day trying on white dresses in East London with her sister and finally settled on her dream design – although she isn’t quite ready to share it just yet.
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Michelle said she had an “amazing” day and felt “so special” as she posed in a stylish, backless frock.
The day of fittings came after Michelle, who is starring as Miss Scarlett in a nationwide tour of Cluedo, celebrated her 60th birthday.
She was given a cake by her niece and sister Vicki, and despite some initial reservations, was happy to have marked the milestone.
“I originally didn’t want to celebrate as it’s not been a great year but so glad I did now,” she said.
Michelle became engaged to Mike, 39, after his romantic proposal in Los Angeles back in March.
He popped the question on a hike up Temescal Canyon – ten years after the couple met.
Michelle told fans: “So this happened in #la he got down on bended knee while we were on the top of #temescalcanyon basically no one else around just us.
“It’s #beautiful and I’m #happy #10years this April about time I think.”
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Michelle, who famously played Cindy Beale in EastEnders, showed off her engagement ring in a sweet snap.
She cuddled her new fiance from behind while wearing a cap that said “be kind”.
Michelle has previously slammed critics who call her a “cougar” over the 22-year age gap between her and boyfriend.
She said she’s fed up of being branded the term and finds it “demeaning”.
Speaking about her “cougar” status when they’d been together for five years, Michelle told the Daily Star: “Mike is 22 years younger than me and I’m regarded as a predator.
“It drives me mad. People call him my toyboy beau. He’s nearly 35, for God’s sake.
“He turned to me the other day and said, ‘Surely I’m not still your toyboy, am I?’
“I laugh about it now but it is annoying. And I hate that word cougar. I can’t stand it. I find it so demeaning. A cougar is a predator going around looking for young flesh. I’m certainly not like that.
“But then, women are judged far more harshly than men. And, funnily enough, often by other women.
“If people think I look old enough to be his mum then let them! There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s one of the downsides, I suppose, of being in the public eye.
“No-one mentions an older man and a younger woman, do they? Nobody goes on about Rod Stewart’s wife Penny being nearly 30 years younger than him!”
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