Michelle Keegan - Bikini candids in Mallorca

Michelle Elizabeth Keegan (born 3 June 1987) is an award-winning British actress best known for her role as Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street. She also had a small cameo appearance on the set with the cast of Red Dwarf including Simon Gregson in Red Dwarf: Back to Earth.

Keegan was born to a Police Inspector father and school facilities inspector mother, and has a younger brother Andrew. The family lived in Manchester until her parents split when she was 13, when she went to live with her mother and stepfather.

Keegan had ambitions to become an actress from an early age and took up her interest by taking drama at school.[citation needed] Upon leaving school she attended college and studied various subjects, getting turned down for a part in Hollyoaks, and taking a part time job at Selfridges in the Trafford Centre shopping mall. In 2006 Michelle went to work for MyTravel Airways as a check-in agent at Manchester Airport.

During the quiet winter months of 2006/2007 she was laid off by the airline.[citation needed] She went back to work at Selfridges and enrolled as a student at the Manchester School of Acting. She attended her first audition to apply for a small part in Hollyoaks, but she did not get it. In late 2007, in only her second-ever audition, she was offered the chance to play the part of Tina in Coronation Street.

On 14 June 2009 Michelle made her radio debut, hosting the Radio 1 Chart Show with Reggie Yates.

She appeared as a guest judge on the Dancing on Ice Tour 2010.

Awards

2008:

* Won 'Best Newcomer' at the British Soap Awards
* Won 'Best Newcomer' at the TV Quick and TV Choice Awards
* Nominated for 'Most Popular Newcomer' at the National Television Awards

2009:

* Won 'Sexiest Female' at the British Soap Awards.
* Won 'Sexiest Female' at the Inside Soap Awards.

2010

* Nominated 'Best Actress' at the British Soap Awards.
* Won 'Sexiest Female' at the British Soap Awards.