TV star Vicki Michelle has ruled out plastic surgery, saying: “I’m an actress – my face has to move.”
The 72-year-old ’Allo ’Allo! veteran — who made her EastEnders debut this week as Jo Cotton, the long-lost wife of Brian Conley’s Rocky — says she feels half her age and is being offered more “meatier” roles than ever.
Vicki Michelle, 72, says she still feels like she’s 35 and she hasn’t had any Botox or plastic surgery
Vicky made her EastEnders debut this week as Jo Cotton, the long-lost wife of Brian Conley’s Rocky
Vicki found fame playing Yvette Carte-Blanche in hit comedy ’Allo! ’Allo!, which ran for nine series between 1984 and 1992
She adds: “I’ve never had any work on my face, no Botox or plastic surgery. I always take my make-up off and moisturise.
“Mummy always said, ‘Don’t go out without your lipstick’, so I never do that.
“But thank God for my genes, I’ve never had anything done and I’m quite proud of that.
“I heard there is a natural facelift coming out so I might do that.
“But I’m an actress — my face has to move.
“People look amazing when they’ve had these procedures but then their face doesn’t move and they all end up looking the same.
“So I’m really happy with the way I am.
” It’s all about not pushing yourself to the nth degree, I find.
“All in moderation.
“In my head I’m 35 anyway.
“People say you don’t get as much work when you’re older but actually when you’re older you get more interesting character roles.
“I’m really lucky that I’ve kept on working in television, film and theatre.”
But Vicky says it is hard for young people who can feel pressured to look a certain way.
It comes after reports that youngsters are turning to cosmetic procedures such as Botox and dermal fillers as a result of social media pressure.
A 2017 study by the Nuffield Council On Bioethics urged the Government to protect people from unregulated practitioners.
The report also condemned makeover apps and online plastic surgery games aimed at children as young as nine.
In 2015 one market research company estimated the UK market could be worth as much as £3.6billion.
Vicki continues: “I’ve never had pressure to look a certain way but I’m from an era where there wasn’t that type of pressure.
“We didn’t have social media, but for younger people now it’s different.
“I do feel sorry for young people these days. It shouldn’t be about how you look but who you are.
“Young kids worry all the time and that is an unfortunate thing because they should be happy.
“You’ve got to like a person for who they are, not for how they look.
“I look at my great-nieces and you see how they react to social media and you think, ‘This isn’t good’.
“If we can start to change the conversation around that and focus more on inner beauty, I think that will be a good thing.”
One person who has been an anchor for Vicki as she has navigated the world of showbusiness is her cinematographer husband Graham Fowler.
The pair wed in 1974 and have daughter Louise, 33, who is following in Vicki’s footsteps as an actress.
Vicki says the key to her long marriage is being allowed to “scream and shout” when things aren’t going right.
She says: “I’ve been with my husband for over 40 years.
“He is a director of photography and understands the business.
“He was really chuffed and pleased when I got the role on EastEnders.
“The key to our relationship is that we understand each other’s work.
“It’s being friends as well.
“If I want to get something out of my system and scream and shout, he’ll be like, ‘She’ll be all right in a minute’.
“It’s understanding each other. That’s the most important thing. I’m very lucky.”
Vicki found fame playing Yvette Carte-Blanche in hit comedy ’Allo! ’Allo!, which ran for nine series between 1984 and 1992.
That was followed by stints in Emmerdale and 2014’s I’m A Celeb.
She has also worked alongside some of the biggest comedians of the Seventies and Eighties, including The Two Ronnies, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Cannon and Ball, Little and Large, Ken Dodd, Bobby Davro and Lenny Henry.
Vicky married her cinematographer husband Graham Fowler in 1974
On EastEnders she now works with funnyman Brian, who she describes as “hugely talented”.
Brian welcomed Vicki on to the set with open arms and texted her to say how chuffed he was that she got the part.
“He made me feel like family,” she says.
“He even texted me after, saying it was lovely working together. How nice!”
While there won’t be much comedy for her character on the BBC One soap, Vicki says she would love to return as a permanent feature of the show.
She says: “I would love that to happen. I wait with bated breath.
“Me and my dad used to watch the show when I was younger. We loved it.
“I loved June Brown and John Altman (Dot Cotton and son Nick). June was always such a laugh and well loved.
“It would be lovely to follow in her footsteps and become part of the family.”
While appreciating the older soap legends, Vicki was also impressed by Walford newbie Bobby Brazier, son of Jade Goody.
She says: “I remember meeting Jade.
“To see her son doing so well on the show is amazing.
“I think he will go far because he has charisma. He’s a lovely boy.
“My advice to the young ones is do your job as well as you can, you don’t want to muck about.
“Play the part to the best of your ability. And be well-mannered and nice to people.”
Following her debut on the soap this week, Vicki says she celebrated with her family by cracking open a bottle of champagne.
She adds: “It’s been so much fun being on EastEnders and now it’s time to celebrate. Why not?”
Vicky’s daughter Louise is following in her mum’s footsteps as an actress
