Episode 6 The Nolan Show

One. Here's what we've got for you tonight. Deputy First Minister

Martin McGuinness hits back at his critics. Am I prepared to die for

the peace process? I will die tomorrow morning for the peace

process, without any fear whatsoever. It is not a for

Orangemen in north Belfast. It is illegal to burn tyres on

bonfires so why isn't more been done to stop it? We'll have a report on

the health risks. Star of Coronation Street Michelle

Colins will be here. And we have the red hot chilli

peppers! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Hello there. We've got a fantastic audience in here tonight. Thank you

for joining us live on BBC One. This is the last show of the current

series. First off, a big political interview with lots of you will no

doubt will want to talk about. It seem as day hardly goes by without

another row between the DUP and Sinn Fein. There's been growing

speculation that tensions between Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness

are at boiling point. Well, I've been talking to the Deputy First

Minister. We covered a lot of ground, including the Stormont

bust-ups and the big issues. I asked Martin McGuinness about sharing

power with the First Minister. I have a working relationship with

Peter. I mean, I'm in the position of Deputy First Minister for seven

years now and it all started with the relationship with Ian Paisley.

To the surprise of many people, Ian Paisley and I had not just a good

working relationship, we had a good personal relationship, which has

existed to this very day. I wonder do people in the DUP like that?

Well, at the time that Ian Paisley left as First Minister there was a

lot of people within unionism outlining the reasons for that,

which was cited as his age. The other was cited as people at

important levels within the DUP didn't like the friendly

relationship that he and I had. Do you think that's part of why they

got rid of them? I think that was one of the reasons why he had to go.

I don't know if that's accurate, but the reality was in the aftermath of

that there was quite clearly a decision that the DUP shouldn't be

seen to be getting too close to Sinn Fein. Due care? Yes, I do care,

because I think that an special phase of the whole process of

conflict resolution is the importance of reconciliation between

political opponents and between everybody within our community. But

Peter doesn't need to like you. He just needs to work with you. I'm not

saying I dislike Peter and I don't think Peter's ever said he dislikes

me. We've always had I think a very civilised and cordial relationship,

a working relationship. Correspondence -- correspondents and

political commentators are saying it has never been more toxic. Well,

that's total nonsense. There has never been a day in the building or

Stormont castle where Peter Robinson and I haven't spoken. Can you trust

him? Prior to the decision I met with Peter before that, before he

went to the United States on his holidays, which he was absolutely

entitled to do. As far as I was concerned, the project to build the

conflict resolution centre was still on the agenda. Out of the blue, a

letter comes from the States. I don't get a telephone call, to say

that the plug has been pulled on the project, so from that perspective,

I'm obviously wary. It is a pretty fundamental, so I will ask you

again. Do you trust him? I don't trust him with regard to that

particular issue. Apart from that there is no secret that there was a

major difference of opinion between him and myself in relation to the

attitude of the DUP in relation to the violence that was happening on

the streets, the attacks that were happening on the police. And the

threats that were being made against isolated communities. You know

exactly what they will be saying and many unionists in the country will

be saying. They are going to say they are not going to take any

lessons from you about violence. I'm glad you asked me that question.

They went into Government with me seven years ago on the basis that we

were looking to the future, not the past. I know there is always a

danger, if I speak out against things that are happening on the

streets in the here and now that my past will be upcast to me. You will

be accused of being a hypocrite won't new People will accuse me of

being a hypocrite. How can you accuse anyone of supporting

violence, when you did it for a lot of your life? Well, you see, the

line on conflict in this country was drawn when we had the Good Friday

agreement. I have since negotiated other agreements with the DUP,

particularly the St Andrews Agreement and the Hillsborough

agreement, which saw fundamental changes to Republicans' attitude to

the use of violence here in the north. As far as I'm concerned,

violence, conflict of any description, was a no-no. Our duty

and responsibility as politicians was to stand up for the agreements

that we made. I made an agreement that I would give 100% support, but

not uncritical support, to the PSNI in the context of the changes that

took place. For that I have been threatened with death by so-called

dissident Republicans. My home has been attacked. My wife has been

verbally abused on the streets by these people, but I have stood up

and no-one can question my commitment to supporting the police

or to the protection of the peace process and the institutions of

which I am a part. I'm not sure about that, because I can put

questions about that. I wonder where you found wanting recently Ben Gerry

Adams was arrested. I saw you standing on the platform. I saw

Bobby's Story, how dare they touch our leader? I saw you clapping. The

leader of Irish republicanism... I saw a press conference in which some

people read your comments that maybe you were going to withdraw your

support for policing. You were tested. How dare they touch our

leader? How dare who touch our leader, the authorities, the police?

They weren't my words. Did you not clap? Let's deal with what I said

during the course of the press conference. You mentioned some

people said, you were one of those people that said that I had said

during the course of the press conference that Sinn Fein would

withdraw support for the police. That was never said during the

course of the press conference. There was never any suggestion

during the press conference, why would we withdraw support from an

organisation that we were very much instrumental in bringing about in

terms of the negotiations that brought about the new beginning to

policing? It wouldn't make sense. Let's come back to the current

situation up here. You read some of the public comments from Peter

Robinson about you. For example, in recent times during the Muslim

controversy, he said about you, he said, I won't take lectures from a

self-confessed leader of a bloody terrorist organisation on equality,

tolerance and mutual respect for all. So how could the public read

anything into that other than this relationship between the two of you

is anything but workman like, he isn't taking lessons from you on

equality, mutual respect, tolerance. What's left? If Peter felt that way

about me, I don't understand how he was involved in discussions with me

about how we build together you knighted community. I just felt that

was an attempt to deflect attention from the remarks made by Pastor

McConnell and the way in which Peter handled that. If I was listening to

just this interview and didn't understand the bigger picture in

Northern Ireland, I would think you and Peter were sitting here having

buns every day. You are at loggerheads over education. You

cannot make it work together or find agreement. You were at loggerheads

over welfare reform. You are at loggerheads over the Ardoyne issue.

I'm not at loggerheads with them about welfare reform. I'm at

loggerheads with the British Government about welfare reform.

This is devolution in Northern Ireland. You've got it here. This is

a very important point. David Cameron has now been British Prime

Minister for almost four years. Sinn Fein is the political party, has

never had one meet with David Cameron. How many have you asked

for? Countless meetings over four years, and he has resisted doing

that. He was found out recently, and I found him out in terms of the fact

that private meetings were taking place with the DUP. Not a private

meeting, private meetings were taking place with the DUP. I wrote

to him about two weeks ago, very critical of his lack of engagement

in this process. What did you say to him? And criticised his stance on

welfare reform. They did not support these proposals. I have since had

the communication from David Cameron that he did not want to meet with

myself or Gerry Adams. For a British prime minister to not have met the

party I think is terrible. Why do you think he has not agreed to a

meeting yet? Because we criticise them. We listen to more in the White

House than we are in London. It is significant that the agreement to

meet Gerry Adams and myself has come out after the exposure of these

private meetings. It is now less than a year until the next British

general election. We have had our problems in the United Kingdom. When

we had ten Ulster Unionists in the parliament, and the John Major

government, we did not move forward at all. If he thinks he can just try

to get the thoughts of the Democratic Democratic Unionists in

Westminster, I think he is doing a grave disservice to the politicians

here. Does David Cameron need the Democratic Unionist party? Yes, and

they also need the peace process. What is your H to the Prime

Minister? What is in jeopardy is how we move forward in the peace process

and that is the reconciliation stage. One of the biggest issues is

what we have called the past and how we can reach compromise with each

other. Sometimes leadership is about being a personal leader. We saw

Peter Robinson making a public apology yesterday. Do you think you

should make a public apology for the past? Do you not think that would be

looked on well by people in Northern Ireland? I think I have done a lot

of things. Have you done that? Letters put it this way, in terms of

the past, I am sorry for the people parked by the conflict. Many people

have commented about you that you can be charming and disarming. I

would quite like to get to know how sorry you are genuinely, about

things which have happened in the past. From what you have contributed

to in the past and the part you played, how sorry I you? Sorry can

be a hard word for people to say. But how sorry are you? It can also

be very easy for people to say and it can also be very insincere. I

think I would prefer to be judged on the contributions I have made to

resolving this problem over the past 20 years. I was Sinn Fein 's chief

negotiator in the St Andrews talks, also in the Hillsborough talks. I

was a chief negotiator who dealt with things like the IRA to talk

about a cease-fire, to get them to put their weapons beyond use,

getting support for the police. I think that is how people are judged.

They are judged by the contribution they have made, as opposed to the

words they have said. Feeding off, but that is you, the politician. The

purpose of the question is to let every citizen in Northern Ireland

look into your eyes and see what that tells is about the individual,

how sorry are you? How sorry do you want me to be? I want you to be as

genuinely sorry as you are. My process -- contribution to the

process tells you what you need. The conflict was terrible, it was awful

and it was awful that so many people from all sections of our communities

suffered the cause of it. I have dedicated my life to changing all of

that. It is to the point where my wife has been set in. I am am I

prepared to die for the peace process? I will die tomorrow,

without any fear. The things you are sorry for, do the trouble you?

Individual situations do not trouble me. What troubles me is that we were

all part of a conflict. Peter Robinson, there has been speculation

about when he might go. As you ever given any thoughts on retirement? I

have always said I will carry on until we have achieved as much as we

can with regard to the peace process. That is not yet over. I met

the Queen at Windsor. Did you enjoy that? I am not sure enjoyment is the

right word. Did you feel comfortable? To be honest, she would

know that as a Republican, she probably did not feel very

comfortable with me. But I think conciliation is very important. So,

how long have you got? I am going to continue working towards the peace

process. As they tame skill? Of course, I look forward to maybe

doing fly fishing on a regular basis, because it is something I

cannot do very much because of the challenges. I think it comes down to

your health, your family, and issues such as that. I have been married 40

years. I am 64 years of age, just past. I can continue on up until we

see this sort of progress that the mass majority of people here want to

see. I have to see also that, given the events of the last 18 months,

there has been a sense of disappointment. I have spoken in the

past about Ian Paisley and one of the reasons I he was first Minister.

But I still meet Democratic Unionists who will stay still ignore

me, not even see good day to me. Who are they? I have not even going to

name their names. There are still people there who believe that in

order to ensure that they have a mandate which helps them

consistently, it is much better to be in conflict and in isolation

mode. I am in reconciliation mode. There is not a day that passes that

Peter Robinson and I do not talk. Against all the odds, I have been in

the government for seven years. Firstly, with Ian Paisley and know

with Peter Robinson, I think that is an achievement of sorts. We have

done good work, but there is a awful lot of work to do. On these long

trips from dairy, when you are listening to the radio show, do you

still shout at the radial excavation muck I think he has made an attempt

to be a bit fear in recent times. No doubt there will be quite a lot

of social media traffic tonight. You can see the details on screen now as

to how you can get in touch. There was some breaking news. Martin

McGuinness and Gerry Adams will meet David Cameron in the near future. He

said it will be the first time in David Cameron is four years in

office that he has met a delegation from Sinn Fein. The peace process

and welfare reform will be on the agenda. He has accused the

Democratic Unionists, but first of all Europe reaction that David

Cameron will make them since his first time in office. I wonder why

it took four years for the leaders of the second largest party in

Northern Ireland to Ascot to talk to the British Prime Minister. They

said that they had asked. It is good that the Al excepting that he is the

Prime Minister of this nation. They have been extremely irresponsible.

When David Cameron does mean them, he has to be careful. I hope he

stresses to Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness that FDR serious about a

shared future, they have to be serious about a future for everyone.

They say there is a red line in the sand here for Sinn Fein, the do not

want to see people being disadvantaged. We do not want that

either. That is why we have given concessions. Talking about a shared

future, he talked about the people who do not talk to him. It is a

professional job. It is not about looking at people. Would you speak

to him? I am the to do a job. Martin McGuinness topped about trust. The

community I represent have a difficulty trusting someone who has

admitted that he was a senior official in the Miami, whose

behaviour the other weeks when Gerry Adams was hailed any holding centre

was deplorable. His party gets the second largest number of votes in

Northern Ireland. But Peter Robinson travels around the world with them.

It is almost as if they are on holiday. I am trying to answer your

question. The people in Northern Ireland voted for Sinn Fein in those

numbers. I would rather they didn't. I would rather they voted for

unionist parties. I am delighted that in the recent elections, the

share of the unionist vote went up. What is still to come in the

programme. It is illegal but been allowed to continue, why are rubber

tyres being allowed to be burnt on the elements of July. Again, there

is controversy of an Orange order parade in the Crumlin Road. They

wanted to complete a march which was curtailed last year after year right

broke out. William, that leads commission has said never again.

This is depressing. There is real anger and frustration in the

community. This is the new Parades Commission. Some of the

determinations were absolutely illogical. I have been to see the

Trade Commission twice and I hoped that common sense would prevail. It

looks as if the commission today as he was then to the threat of

violence, which I think is incredible. You cannot be that

surprised by that? Yes, I am surprised. The talks we have found

with them in recent months, I hope there would be a positive outcome.

Letters be quite clear, there were reasons why we were told we could

not have the parade. We were told it was because of the elections another

things. There have been considerable talks going on in recent months.

There were talks which the Nationalists refused to turn up to.

There were talks in recent weeks and this outcome clearly shows that the

commission is about. It is about using a veto for nationalists and

republicans. So you are going to rubbish the new commission? You

supported them, did you not, your party? We welcomed there were new

personnel, hoping there would be new thinking. The engagements I have had

with the Commissioner in recent weeks and months have been positive.

The feed-back was we were prepared to engage in a much more meaningful

way. I know my Member Member of Parliament stressed today it looks

like they've caved into the threat of violence. Is it not time to allow

them to walk down the road, ten minutes and it is over, that's it?

That's entirely the wrong way to approach this. For the past year the

unionists and the loyalists have behaved in a disgraceful man manner.

This is a most sensitive sectarian interface between the working class

communities of Ardoyne and Shankill. This camp has had nightly parades

where the loyalists have marched up to the wall and singing is songs.

These have been erected at the interface pointing at the Catholic.

The message is clear, a message of intolerance, a message of hate. It's

been a disgrace. In entitle Er entitled to protest, are they not?

We use that phrase all the time. They were entitled to protest but

not raise sectarian tensions in a very irresponsible manner, in a most

sensitive sectarian interface. And you support the camp, it is costing

?9 million a year? An easy resolution to this. Six minutes,

three lodges and two bands to parade along the Crumlin Road, a main

arterial route in and ouch this city. How are they supposed to get

home? They have civil and human rights and these are being ignored

in this. They do get home, don't they? They haven't been in a tent

since last year! LAUGHTER You can be as flippant as

you like. I'm being factual. The fact of the matter is, and this is

the problem with the BBC and certain sections of the media, those three

lodges when they set out on 12th July and the Orange Lodge goes to

parade and returns home to its orange property. In case I'm in La

La Land, have they got in their front door in the last year? We are

talking about the collective of the Orange Lodges. It is unfortunate you

take that attitude. Yesterday in a debate which all parties in Northern

Ireland supported on racist attacks. The motion by Sinn Fein included the

words firmly opposes racism remarks discrimination and intolerance of

any kind wherever it curse. In July 2012, the Orangemen came home and

absolutely outrageous determine to come home for 4 o'clock. Had to get

transport home. 2,000 republicans came on to the Crumlin Road. They

attacked the police and set fire the a car which they pushed into police

ranks and fired automatic gunfire, trying to murder a policeman, and

the reward? Last year's march was banned. Was the violent rewarded?

No, it wasn't rewarded. With the same logic the riots of 20505,

parades subsequently allowed through were rewarding violence. Coming back

to the point, what is the parade about? Is it having fun? Is it a

cultural expression? If it is, why does it need to involve marching

past Catholic homes? It doesn't need to involve that. If it was the case,

the line William took about this being a human right, does he then

say that republicans should be allowed to parade from leg needle --

lug kneel, from Ardoyne down the Crumlin Road? Would you support that

parade? The difference is... There is no difference if it is a human

right. For 150 years, lodges... You can laugh. Lodges have paraded up

and down there. There is no history of people from that village coming

down the Crumlin Road. Would you not support that parade he talked about?

It is a human right, it is not tradition. Since they were denied

the right of coming down the Crumlin Road, not Ardoyne but Crumlin Road,

and they walk past a predominantly unionist area, if they can't get

down the Crumlin Road, which Gerry Kelly last year year, they will

stand there as long as they like, but they won't get down. If they

don't get down the Crumlin Road, do they get down the Cavehill Road? How

do they join their brothers in the procession? The same way they get

into other parades. Marching past to go to derry. How did they get there?

On buses When they get on the buses to go back, as they have done on

occasion, what's happened? The buses have been attacked. And that is

wrong. I would never support that. I stood on Donegal Street when there

was a mass being delivered in St Patrick's chapel. The Apprentice

Boys came down, they recognised it was a mass, and they didn't play

music. They behaved in a disciplined way. While people and politicians

protested there while the mass was going ahead. On the return leg, when

they were meant to walk up, there was a funeral coming out of the

chapel. What they do? They waited until the cortege passed. That's the

sort of way the people should behave and there studio should be

reciprocation. Is there going to be trouble this summer again? Is it

just going to go round on that awful merry-go-round where no-one wins?

No-one wants to see trouble, and I have to say... People taking part

nit want to see trouble. That's not true. For 328 days there has been a

camp there which has been peaceful. OK. And the camp would disappear

tomorrow if the Orangemen, three lodges, two bands, six minutes along

the Crumlin Road, a main arterial route in and out of the city, was

allowed to process. We are going to look at bonfires. We've been

contacted by reds departments concerned about tyres being

stockpiled at bonfire sites. Despite the fact that burning tyres illegal

on health grounds. We filmed three sites where they are being

collected. And we've commissioned research on potential health risks.

Look at this. You've seen them on bonfires but

what chemicals are released when a tyre is burnt? We've brought a tyre

to a lab for analysis, where Dr Bloomfield takes a small section for

testing. The sample of tyre is burnt in a controlled environment,

producing a strong, unpleasant smell. Then fumes from the tyre are

captured and treated with a solution which produces a coloured liquid.

Finally, this liquid is injected into a machine for testing. This

peak is 96% sure that's actually Styrene. Styrene is toxic to the

eyes, to the skin, to the gastrointerest in all system. And we

had ethyl, extremely toxic. If you look through the computer printout,

there's naphthalene. People talk about these as being carcinogenic.

We took them to the toxicologist, at the University of Ulster. When you

burnt tyres on bonfires you are going to produce a number of

predictable consequences. Irritant gases, lots of particles, and

chemicals which potentially can cause cancer. If they are being

burned in conjunction with other things, such as wood that's been

treated with preserve actives, PCV plastic, that's going to provide a

lot of chlorine, you are going to get dioxin formation. They get taken

into the food chain, so the main way into the body isn't breathing.

Dioxins are persistent chemicals. They were some of the most toxic

substances we know of. They stick around in the body for decades and

can be passed on to the next generation in the breast milk and

across the placenta. That can lead in high dose to abnormalities of

development. Well, joining me to discuss this the loyalist community

worker Phil Hamilton and the alliance councillor John Blair.

Phil, your reaction to that. Would you like to be living beside a

bonfire with those tyres? I think we have to be realistic. For

generations bonfires have had tyres on it. Yes there's a concern about

the health risks. But for years across England, across France,

across the world bonfires have burned with different materials that

give out different toxins. But the pollutants go into the soil and

these are potentially harmful. The only information I'm trying to bring

to the community that's putting tyres on the bonfires, I'm trying to

use the evidence to say, look at what you're doing to your own

community. Why would you do that to your own community? To your own

children. Ask first of all why they are using tyres. The reason why is

because there's a lack of material at present, with so many bonfires

across Northern Ireland. To fill the bonfires in. People may like this or

may not like it but these are the facts. Speaking to the bonfire

collectors before coming on to this programme I asked them the hard

questions. They asked them why they are using tyres, and the reason is

there is a lack of material. Do they want to endanger the people in their

own community? No-one wants to do that. But it is spelt out by

scientists. Community workers across the province who don't get paid.

When we contact the agency as, no-one wants to know. Ten years ago

I spoke to you about bonfires and ten years later I'm in the audience

speaking about bonfires. Pro active measures have to happen. We have to

be creative in our ideas. One of the ideas I brought to the table was

would there be somewhere around January council or housing executive

to store material to be put into the middle of a bonfire? If someone from

outside the loyalist community brought in a potentially harmful

substance and put it in the centre of the community that you represent,

all hell would break loose, and your natural reaction would be, hold on a

minute, you can't endanger our people. That would be the right

reaction, wouldn't it? Steven, what we have to do is be creative in our

ideas. We could sit sheer... Don't put tyres on a bonfire, that's how

you address it. With the we need to do is go back to basks. We need tone

gauge with the bonfire collectors and come up with creative ideas.

When I come up with ideas councils are happy to have that negotiation

with me behind closed doors. I would like to ask why you say there is a

lack of materials, why are you happy burning palettes? It is bad enough

you are polluting the environment, but it is the taxpayer that has to

pay for the clean-up afterwards, not the ones running around the bonfire

drunk. We are talking about tyres here. If you think about it as well

there's other materials in bonfires give out toxics, so it is not just

only the tyres. Palettes, there has to be something in the middle. This

is what I'm saying. Why won't statutory agencies not come

together, give an area where people can put stuff that can be burnt in

the middle? I think if that option was given the you would see a

reduction. What has to be given credit to is there's plenty of

people across Northern Ireland working on this issue. Community

workers and politicians. Bonfires, believe it or not... Do you see the

pictures? Ten or 15 years ago you burnt bonfires. It is against the

law. Steven, there is a lot of things against the law. That makes

it alright then! It didn't make it alright. We need to come up with

creative ideas to give alternatives. Bonfires on my estate have been

burning for last 35 years. There is a pressure point now about tyres.

You are saying it releases toxins. I'm not, the scientists are. No soil

has been used for 30 years. I don't see why there is a flashpoint on it.

So the scientists are making it up? They are saying toxins are in the

soil. Is that is a bonfire area. That's it. Second is Your scientists

are making things up in a laboratory. That's it. It is in a

laboratory, not out in the open. There is a reason identities

illegal, why there's legislation there. The executive isn't claiming

it is their land. Other agencies won't claim it is their land. Look

at these shots. Do you think seriously that the community should

be educated against this? You need to remember that the number of

bonfires held as vastly reduced. When I was growing up, every street

had one. What has happened across this city is that the council has

worked with communities. One of the pilots was in would feel, with the

others a beacon, we a site could be set aside for that. I will tell you

something, you have to be careful about this. I absolutely get the

point about rubber tyres, but what this is being seen in the Protestant

and unionist and wailed loyalist community, this is about the

culture. If like has been taken down in the City Hall by Sinn Fein and

the Alliance. Orange halls are being attacked. People are seeing this.

The bonfires are something which are part of British society for years.

When will we are merely became the monarchs, these bonfires were lit.

What needs to happen? I am and selling your point. Should he have

the rubber tyres on the bonfire? Ideally no. What about ideally no.

Why not just know? We are living in the real world. People put them

there because the burden for a long time. -- the burden.

To get back to the environmental issue and we from the sectarian

skier stories, the reality is there are plenty of bonfires which cause

no issue at all. We respect the cultural expression of different

groups within the country. We work with statutory agencies to make sure

these are safe and enjoyable and family friendly. The reality with

these sites that we sell out that there are sites which are illegal.

You and I or any other member of the audience are not allowed to go out

and burn these, because it is against the law. It is unreasonable

that other people should be able to just make up their own law. Go

ahead. You were talking about people burning tyres and their own

community. We talked about this cultural war. What about people who

do not really care about nationalism or unionism, who have to put up with

this every year. We have our freedom to travel restricted every year.

With the not be a better way to do this. Is not a better way to not

cause will use or cause this monumental upheaval each year.

Communities across the immunity, there are obviously bonfires in the

Nationalists community as well. I totally accent you are right not to

celebrate the jive a 12 weekend. But it is important to the thousands of

people who do go out on the janitors to make sure we get the maximum

benefit out of jail either 12, in terms of two is and the benefit to

the city from that. There are issues to be addressed. The orange

institutions and loyalist community work workers have been working hard

to address this. Thank you for joining us. Please give the panel a

round of applause. No, just before we move on, there is

a lot of interaction tonight. This is how you can get in touch.

Straight after the show, I will talk to all of you for a couple of

hours. My next guess what any call centre, fought burgers and had a

brief pop career before getting her big break in EasEEnders. She has

also written to the screen in Coronation Street, but she also had

the harrowing story about anorexia and Ballymena. Please welcome,

Michelle Collins. Hello. It is very late, isn't it? It is

past my bedtime. I started off reading about you and I first read

that you cringe to when we show you in EasEEnders. Letters have a look

at you back then. I will fight this all the way. We

are my children? I have just been to the house and there is no one there.

Where are they? Give them these. This is just a few

things they may need that you forgot. Stephen cannot sleep without

that. He needs a security blanket, more than ever. Pyjamas, socks, just

things that they need because you did not think he may need them.

Think hard about yourself. Do not stop looking over your shoulder,

because I will get them back. Why do you cringe at that? I just do

not like watching myself. It was a long time ago. Everyone has gone,

apart from Adam. All these great actors. It was a long time ago. And

looks so young they are. They just do not like watching myself. I have

never been a lover of watching myself on television. You were in an

iconic show like that years ago and you are still stopped I people in

the street about it? Yes, especially by younger people, it makes me

wonder how they would possibly know. But she seems to be keep recurring.

And Ian seems to be obsessed still by her, so I hear. What would you

like them. I like to know the person behind the screen character. Well

you happy? As Michelle, that was about 1997. I left in 1996 to have

my daughter, had a year off on them and back for six months. I was

happy. And then at roundabout 1995 I need the decision to leave. Why? I

just felt I needed to move on. I felt I needed to be a normal actor,

as it were. I wanted the challenge. I actually feel pregnant at that

time, so at all what total very well. I had a year off and what

about and then I went back for six months. I was not happy, I did not

like it. I did not feel that I fitted in any more. When I can back,

I felt I had moved on. You have a the battle for quite a long time

with wheat issues. You are looking fantastic. You feel the need to

re-lose weight and you got anorexia? When I was very young, about 19, I

was always, I was never a big child in any way. It was different when I

was 19, there was not the whole social networking thing, there were

not, celebrity existed, but it was not like now, with all these

magazines with people obsessed by working at themselves. I think the

industry brought it on. I was any hunk banter a year. Basically, the

site as, the letters go. It was a real shock to me. It was rejection?

Yes, possibly. When they talk about eating disorders, is a genetic, is

it,. What will you doing? I started dieting. Then I became a vegetarian

and then it just got, it just seemed to spiral out of control. This was a

lovely couple of years period. When did you know you were in trouble?

Probably when I got to about just under six stone and I went to an

addition. Audition. They phoned up my agent and said, is she actually

OK. I think you start to feel unwell. You know within yourself

when you are not right. It gave me a big shake-up and then I decided to

go down to the gymnasium. I found a gymnasium and did it that way. Food

addiction is a control. You need to control something. Clearly, the rear

factors. You fought your way through that. You have not just been in one

iconic show. It is a sign of how resilient you are is that the sort

of thing going on to the other huge show. Is it bigger than EastEnders

seer? Yes, I believe it is. That is a brilliant thing to have

had. I did a lot of work in between. But I suppose people, I did not

realise how huge Coronation Street was and I did not realise the effect

on the when I was in it. Coming from EastEnders, I at a just be able to

go in the front door and not really be noticed. But it did not work like

that. There was this huge publicity thing. In the beginning, I got

slated for my accent and everything, but I rode the storm. Which show did

you pay fair? It is very -- Playfair.

They have very different. Everyone loves to play the bad general. I

love to she was a great character, but I

think the EastEnders character was more exciting. Could you go back? I

am actually dead in EastEnders, so I do not think I could do that. Well,

you never know, stranger things have happened. I want to be an actor once

again. People are seeing quite? But I just like the challenge. I wish we

had more time with you. I wanted to talk to you, because you have lost a

lot of weight as well. Ladies and gentlemen, please thank Michelle

Collins. That is all we have got time for. That is all we have time

for the entire serious. We have made some noise over the last six weeks

or so. Two players out, we would have something special. Shall we

will CAR HORN BLARES

Whoa!