EastEnders’ new Michelle Fowler actress is friends with Sharon Mitchell and Ian Beale in real life but had to LIE to them about her role

EASTENDERS brought a brand new Michelle Fowler back to the Square this week, and it turns out that ‘Chelle’s onscreen best friend Sharon Mitchell and cousin Ian Beale are close friends in real life, but she had to lie to them about why she joining the cast.

Actress Jenna Russell, 49, who plays Michelle, has been friends with 49-year-old Letitia Dean (Sharon) and 48-year-old Adam Woodyatt (Ian) since they were teenagers, training at Sylvia Young’s Theatre School with Letitia and socialising with Adam.

“Tish and I were at the same school together when we were 14, we were in the same class, but we haven’t really seen each other since we were 19,” she told The Metro.

“Adam didn’t go to the same school, but in those days when you were a young actor, you all knew each other. We would hang out and work with each other. We did the film Made in Britain together, and socialised quite a bit when we were in our mid-teens.”

However she confessed that she had to keep her casting as Michelle top-secret and even had to use a code word so they wouldn’t catch on.

“It has all been so super-secret. I did ask if I could come on set to see how it works a week prior to filming. I was really desperate to do that,” she said.

“I thought if I got a little image in my head, and met everyone to say hello, it would take the curse off the first day at work as they are always scary. The producers wouldn’t let me though, because they wanted to keep it a secret.

“There are a lot of actors in the show that I know and when eventually I did start and they asked who I was playing, I would say ‘Tammy’ – which was the code name for Michelle – and they would ask ‘Who’s Tammy?’. I’d have to say I couldn’t tell them.

“I’m looking forward to it all being out in the open now. Overall a lot of the time I’ve been with Tish, and we have been talking about our lives and what we’ve been up to. It’s just like being embraced by an old friend.”

She added that having to lie to everyone has been “horrid” with even her daughter not knowing the truth.

“Yes, it’s been horrid. I’ve not enjoyed that bit at all because it makes it feel much bigger than it is. Ultimately it’s a job and I love my job, but I haven’t enjoyed fibbing to everyone (laughs). Even my daughter doesn’t know.”

The legendary character made her shocking return – as The Sun reported earlier this week – in the middle of the Christmas Eve episode of the BBC soap.

Michelle stepped out of a black cab in the middle of the square and immediately went to sit on dad Arthur’s bench.

Her first interaction on the Square was with Lee Carter who didn’t know he was in the presence of Walford royalty.

A source told The Sun earlier this week: “Eastenders have been trying to convince Susan to come back for more than 20 years but they agreed enough was enough and have decided to recast the role.

“They thought Jenna was a great fit and think she will do a great job as Michelle who is one of the most popular characters in the show’s history.

“The show has faced accusations of being boring lately, but curveballs like this shows it still keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.”