Michelle Keegan insists she is ’embarrassed’ that she has won the Sexiest Woman soap award 12 times and ‘felt uncomfortable’ stripping off

Michelle Keegan has admitted she is 'ashamed' of being voted sexiest woman on Coronation Street.

The 36-year-old actress, who appeared in the ITV soap as Tina McIntyre from 2008 to 2014, insisted she is 'not sexy' and says her friends 'laugh about it'.

Michelle explained how frustrating she found the 'judgment' about her appearance while her hardline storylines went unrecognized.

The former soap star won twelve soap gongs for being 'sexiest woman' and was voted FHM's sexiest woman in the world in 2015.

Speak with The guard, she said, “It was embarrassing. Because I was in a lot of heavy storylines. There was one where I felt like I cried every day for months. And at the end, when the award was Sexiest Woman, it was so frustrating.

The 36-year-old actress, who appeared in the ITV soap as Tina McIntyre from 2008 to 2014, insisted she is 'not sexy' and says her friends 'laugh about it'

'The funny thing is: I'm not sexy! I've never been sexy! My friends always laughed about it. Even saying the word makes me cringe.”

Michelle added that it was the “norm” to pose for sexy men's magazines, but she “never felt comfortable with it.”

She added: 'Yes, I felt pressure and I'm a bit of a people pleaser, I try to go with the flow. But there was something inside me that thought, 'I really don't want this. I don't want to be on the front cover in my underwear.' So I finally worked up the courage to say no.”

After Michelle quit the ITV soap and her character was killed off, she went on to star in BBC's Our Girl and Sky's Brassic.

Her latest series, Netflix thriller Fool Me Once, will be released on New Year's Day.

She will star alongside actress Joanna Lumley in the film based on the novel of the same name by author Harlan Coben.

Michelle, who plays distressed widow Maya Stern, said the 77-year-old Finding Alice star made her “feel very comfortable” on set.

She revealed that Joanna, who plays the mother of Maya's murdered husband Judith Burkett, pushed her to be “spicier” in scenes.

Despite this, Michelle said she still couldn't bring herself to 'swear in Joanna's face' during rehearsals.

Michelle, who appeared in the ITV soap as Tina McIntyre from 2008 to 2014, won 12 soap gongs for being 'sexiest woman' and was voted FHM's Sexiest Woman Alive in 2015 (pictured 2010)

She said: 'It was embarrassing. The funny thing is: I'm not sexy! I've never been sexy! My friends always laughed about it. Even when I say the word I cringe

She said: 'They were so much fun. I mean, it's not every day that you tell Joanna Lumley to F-off! That was quite nerve-wracking.

'She made me feel very comfortable from the start. She's such a legend. My cousin and I grew up watching Ab Fab, so I was such a big fan.

'Our scenes pit our characters against each other. She's so good at playing that feisty role and it made me a little feistier. I had to match that energy.

'But I wouldn't swear during rehearsals. I'd just say, “The F-word.” I would curse at a recording, but I wouldn't curse in her face during rehearsals. I couldn't do that.'

Last week, highly anticipated thriller Fool Me Once dropped its first teaser clip, giving fans a glimpse of Michelle as she transformed into distressed widow Maya.

In the clip, Maya tries to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband Joe (Richard Armitage).

The trailer shows a happy beginning for the couple on their wedding day and family life before Maya's world is torn apart.

As the story develops, Maya installs a nanny camera to keep an eye on her young daughter and is shocked to see a man she recognizes in her house, her husband, who she thought was dead.

Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhtar) leads the murder investigation into Joe's death, while struggling with his own secrets.

All episodes of Fool Me Once will be available on Netflix from January 1, 2024.