Not only was she forced to dye her brunette tresses platinum blonde, Michelle Keegan also had to take on an Essex accent for her latest role in ITV's upcoming drama, Tina and Bobby. Speaking to Nick Grimshaw on his Radio 1 breakfast show, the 29-year-old - who portrays former England captain Bobby Moore's wife Tina in the biopic - revealed she turned to her husband and former TOWIE Mark Wright for help.
"[Mark] did help, I used to go on set and I'd ring Mark on the sly and say, 'Just say this word for me' so I can hear him say it," she explained. "Luckily, Tina [Moore] had elocution lessons when she was younger so her Essex accent was quite neutral." The BBC radio host later asked Michelle to demonstrate the accent, to which she obliged by saying: "You alright babe, y'aright?"
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© Photo: Getty ImagesMichelle Keegan says she turned to husband Mark Wright to perfect the Essex accent
The new series recounts the life of the legendary England captain and his wife. Starting from their humble beginnings as young lovebirds, the drama will then focus on their dizzy heights of Bobby's superstardom. The lead role will be played by Grantchester actor Lorne MacFadyen, while Patsy Kensit takes on Tina’s mother Betty and David Bamber as England manager Alf Ramsey.
© Photo: ITVThe 29-year-old plays former England captain Bobby Moore's wife Tina in new ITV drama
Speaking about her character, Michelle said: "Tina is a very confident and strong woman. She's very independent too. A lot of the time Tina was the backbone of their marriage and Bobby always went to her for advice. Although she was in the background when it came to his career, in their marriage she was always at the forefront of their relationship." She added: "I love playing strong women but I just loved the scripts. Tina's story mentally and emotionally engaged me."
Tina and Bobby will premiere on Friday January 13th at 9pm on ITV1
