Michelle Jones (Brookside)

Michelle Jones is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Tracey Jay. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 15 March 1983. Michelle is introduced as the sister of Petra Taylor (Alexandra Pigg) and Marie Jackson (Anna Keaveney). Jay auditioned for work as an extra on the series but was cast as Michelle. She was originally only intended to appear in two episodes, but this was later extended. She eventually moves onto Brookside Close with Marie and her husband, George Jackson (Cliff Howells) and their twin children Gary Jackson (Steven Patterson) and Little George Jackson (Allan Patterson), forming the show's Jackson family. Michelle is originally portrayed as a meek, bright and cheeky but writers transformed her into a moody and depressed character. Jay believed that during her first year in the series, Michelle was bound to Petra's storylines. In her second year, she viewed Michelle as becoming a more independent character from her on-screen family.

Writers created Michelle's main relationship storyline with Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan). Their romance is difficult due to his friendship with Barry Grant (Paul Usher), who Michelle and Marie blame for Petra's disappearance and suicide. Michelle was often portrayed as being jobless and in her later stories she was displayed as being bored with her life. She begins an affair with her dance teacher, Richard de Saville (Robert Dallas) and Terry soon discovers the truth. Producers decided to write Michelle out of the series in 1985, following the departures of her on-screen family. In her final scenes, Michelle decides to leave Brookside Close and move to Leeds to live with Marie. Jay last appeared as Michelle during the episode broadcast on 18 June 1985.