EastEnders’ Vicki Michelle, 73, seen for the first time since hospital dash for broken shoulder
EASTENDERS actress Vicki Michelle has been seen for the first time since breaking her shoulder.
It was previously reported the star, 73, was rushed to hospital after she suffered a “nasty fall” requiring immediate medical attention.
In new pictures, Vicki is wearing a black dress, white jacket, as well as a form of sling following her injury.
She previously took to Instagram to keep fans up-to-date on her recuperation in hospital.
The star captioned her post: “So sorry everyone No Vix Mix Sunday this week.
“I’ve had a nasty fall and broken my shoulder.
“Ouch. Bloody painful. Me at hospital. Hopefully be with you next week. Missing you already.”
Veteran TV presenter Anthea Turner commented: “Awwwww speedy recovery.”
Hi-de-Hi actress Linda Regan wrote: “Oh my darling. Massive love and get well wishes.
“I’ll call you soon. I’ll let you rest a little while.”
While another well-wisher penned: “Sorry to hear that Vicki.
“Please do look after yourself. Hope you’re all healed up and feeling better very soon.”
Vicki joined the EastEnders cast in 2023, playing Jo Cotton on a recurring basis.
Her character was the estranged wife to Brian Conley‘s character Thomas “Rocky” Cotton, who was engaged to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth).
As for Rocky, he had debuted in the BBC soap in 2021 and was later sent to prison for an insurance scam.
Forgotten soap storylines
The nation's soaps have had many gripping storylines play out over the years. However, some plots proved to be far less memorable. Here are some forgotten stories from Weatherfield, Walford and more...
- Ken and Audrey’s romance (2015): After the death of wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride), Coronation Street original Ken Barlow (William Roache) started to move on in his life. He started to develop a spark with old friend Audrey (Sue Nicholls), with then-Corrie boss saying it would be like “Ross and Rachel”. In the end, nothing ever came of it and the two remained platonic pals.
- Beth’s bigamy (2016): Despite being happily married to Kirk (Andrew Whyment), a troubling secret came to light about Beth Tinker (Lisa George). It transpired that she had never divorced from her first husband, Darryl (Paul Loughran), father of her son Craig (Colson Smith). Although Craig and Kirk were shocked – and Beth was arrested – the storyline didn’t didn’t go much further.
- Kat Slater’s secret son (2017): Capitalising on the popularity of Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (Shane Richie), the two received a spin-off back in 2017. Titled ‘Redwater’, it saw the two travel to Ireland where they met long-lost son Luke, now called Dermott Dolan, played by Oisín Stack. Despite the high-tension events during Redwater, Kat seems to have put the experience behind her as Dermott’s not been mentioned since.
- Alfie’s brain tumour (2015): Having learned in 2015 that he had a brain tumour, Alfie kept the news from Kat until their trip to Ireland. At the time, actor Shane Ritchie revealed fans would see a change in Alfie as he battled the illness. It would appear that at some point after leaving the Square, was told the tumour was non-malignant. By the time Alfie returned in 2022, fans were left confused over what had happened to the storyline.
- Kathy and Buster’s affair (2016): In 2016, Walford legend Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) fell into the arms of convict Buster Briggs, played by Karl Howman. Buster was the long-time lover of Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and fathered both her sons – Mick (Danny Dyer) and Dean (Matt Di Angelo). When Buster left, he begged Kathy to join him, but she refused for the sake of her family. Meanwhile Buster didn’t even stop to say goodbye to Shirley before exiting with a broken heart. Fans expected a showdown between the two women, but this never came to pass.
- Jacob’s OCD (2016): After his dad, David (Matthew Wolfenden), was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) developed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This manifested in the form of cleaning. Jacob’s OCD made a brief return one year on, after David had another scare after finding a lump. Jacob frantically searched the bins for a “lucky coin” that had accidentally been thrown away. Despite stressful situations – such as being groomed by his teacher Maya, losing his fiancee Leanna to a serial killer, dealing with mum Leyla’s drug addiction, and surviving a stabbing – the condition doesn’t appear to have returned.
- Marlon and Charity’s fling (2003): Few fans would likely remember few will remember the one-night stand between Charity (Emma Atkins) and Marlon (Mark Charnock) in 2003. The pair slept together when Charity was staying with Marlon while still under suspicion for husband Chris’s supposed “murder”.
- Alex Browning’s revenge plot (2014): Fans expected a confrontation when Dr Browning’s son Alex (Ojan Genc) mer stepmum Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe). After all, Mercedes, with Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) and Lindsey Butterfield (Sophie Austin) had murdered Alex’s dad, double-murderer Dr Paul Browning, after he kidnapped and attacked his new wife. In fact, the soap teased Alex would seek revenge for his father’s death upon arriving. However, he instead gave Cindy’s son Hilton (his half-brother) a life-saving transplant, became his godfather, and leaving the village soon after.
Vicki’s best known role is perhaps waitress Yvette Carte-Blanche in the classic 1980s/90s BBC sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo.
The show aired for nine series between 1982 and 1992.
In a separate soap stint, the actress played recurring character Patricia Foster in Emmerdale between 2007 and 2009.
Vicki has also appeared in Celebrity MasterChef (2008) and I’m A Celebrity (2014).