Michelle Keegan has proved she has great acting chops and an ability to play diverse roles.
However, her talent for mastering other regional accents hasn’t really been put to the test – until now.
The proud Manc is back on our screens soon in ITV drama Tina and Bobby, in which she plays the wife of football legend Sir Bobby Moore.
The role requires her to adopt an Essex accent.
It’s not easy for northerners to grasp a southern accent – or vice versa (just ask Michelle Collins…)
However, Michelle appears to have mastered it. The woman she is portraying certainly thinks so.
Tina Moore has lavished praise on her!
Tina told ITV’s Lorraine: “I was very impressed with Michelle, she’s lovely. Such a down to earth, beautiful young girl.
“Her husband Mark comes from Essex so he’s helped her a lot along the way with the accent.”
Yes, with an Essex chap for a hubby, Michelle had no excuses really.
She and Mark, both 29, live just down the road from Bobby and Tina’s former home in Chigwell.
Michelle previously revealed that she loved meeting Tina, despite finding the prospect “daunting”.
The former Corrie star also revealed how she had to call on her husband to bring her up to scratch with British football knowledge and how she could relate to Tina’s story about the challenges of having a relationship in the public eye.
The series, based on Tina’s own book, charts her marriage and eventual split from the renowned England captain.
It begins Friday, January 13.